Parrozzo

The Parrozzo is a typical Abruzzese dessert, invented in 1920 by a pastry chef from Pescara named Luigi D’Amico. The shape of the dessert is a tribute to the “pán ‘rozzo” (rough bread), an ancient country dome-shaped bread that Abruzzese farmers used to bake. Now I will list the ingredients and then we’ll move on to the preparation.

Ingredients

• 250 g of peeled almonds
• 250 g of sugar
• 6 eggs
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 packet of baking powder
• 100 g of durum wheat semolina
• 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 200 g of dark chocolate for the coating

Preparation

1. Start by finely chopping the almonds until you get a flour.
2. Separate the yolks from the whites and whisk the yolks with the sugar until you get a light and frothy mixture.
3. Add the grated lemon zest to the yolk and sugar mixture and then also incorporate the almond flour, semolina, and cocoa sifted with the baking powder.
4. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and gently fold them into the mixture, with movements from the bottom up so as not to deflate them.
5. Butter and flour a half-sphere mold, pour in the mixture and bake at 180 °C for about 40 minutes, or until the Parrozzo is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Once baked, let the Parrozzo cool down, then prepare the coating by melting the dark chocolate in a double boiler.
7. When the chocolate is well melted and smooth, pour it over the cooled Parrozzo, covering it completely. Wait for the chocolate to solidify before serving.

The dessert should have a crunchy chocolate coating and a soft inside, fragrant with almonds and lemon.

Curiosity

The name “Parrozzo” was suggested to the pastry chef D’Amico by the Abruzzese poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, who had a villa nearby. The poet was so enthusiastic that he also dedicated a few lines of verse to it. It is recommended to pair a Parrozzo with a sweet liqueur, such as a good Abruzzese cooked wine or a delicate flavored grappa.