Palpito Cake is an unleavened cake, thin and with a dark brown surface. It is made with pears, butter, sugar, amaretti biscuits, lemon peel, bread soaked in water or milk, powdered chocolate, eggs, raisins, and fernet liquor.
Production Area
The unleavened Palpiton Cake is produced in some pastry shops in Biella. Originally, it was a typical confectionery product of the municipalities of the moraine hills of the Serra, Zubiena and Mongrando.
How it is made
The pears are peeled and sliced, and in a pan, butter is made to melt with sugar. Then lemon peel, cut into strips, and a pinch of salt are added. The pears are also added and the composition is made to cook until the pears are well cooked and dry. After allowing the mixture to cool, the small buns that were first soaked in milk and crushed, are added. The bits of amaretti biscuits, powdered chocolate, and grated lemon peel and fernet herb liquor are added. All is blended together, and to end, the eggs and raisins are incorporated.
The mixture is poured into a baking pan lined with butter and the surface is dotted with some small pieces of butter. The cake is placed in the oven until it acquires a dark brown colour. At times cocoa powder can be sprinkled on top.
History
At one time, the Torta Palpiton was a traditional cake for the patronal feasts of some towns of Biella (Mongrando, Curanuova, and Ceresane) and were baked in the bread shop's oven.
