Name: Spongata di Brescello (Double-Crusted Fruit-and-Nut Tart)
Yield: Serves 8 to 10
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: Pinch of salt; ¼ cup cold water or sweet wine; Grated zest of 1 lemon; ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar; Confectioners’ sugar for topping; ½ cup water; ½ cup raisins, plumped in hot water and drained; ¼ cup candied orange peel, chopped; ¼ cup candied citron, chopped; 1 whole egg plus 2 egg yolks; 1 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste; ¾ cup toasted bread crumbs; ¾ cup (1½ sticks) chilled unsalted butter; ⅔ cup pine nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped; 2½ cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup honey; 1¼ cups apricot jam

Preparation info

Serves
8 to 10

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Cucina Ebraica

By Joyce Goldstein

Published 1998

About

Ironically now a Christmas classic in many cities of Emilia-Romagna, especially Parma and Brescia, spongata is said to have been brought to Italy by the Spanish Jews at the end of the fifteenth century. The Jewish Muggia family of Brescia made this rich tart their specialty from 1867 until 1990. Sometimes the dessert is called spongata di Busseto, as Busseto is the birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi, whose picture appears on packages of the commercially made pastries. Some versions