Fregolotta

Fregolotta – from “fregole”, the Venetian word for crumbs – is a crumbly affair that sits halfway between a giant cookie and a shortcake. Traditionally from the area around the city of Treviso, its origin can be traced back to the beginning of the 20th century, and specifically to the town of Salvarosa di Castelfranco Veneto. There, an ingenious baker named Angelo Zizzola created this friable cake using flour, sugar, butter and cream. He called it fregolotta because of the many crumbs it would make once torn into pieces, though the cake is also known as rosegota, from the Venetian word “rosegar”, which means to gnaw on something.

The original, basic recipe has seen quite a few variations and additions, including eggs, butter and almonds. Personally, I tend to stick to the classic and to just add a handful of almonds as a garnish at the end. This is the version I have shared below.

Fregolotta is normally served in rough chunks for people to nibble at at the end of the meal, usually with coffee and whatever comes before or with it – grappa, sweet wine and the like.