Torta di fioretto

Torta di fioretto or fügascia de fiorétt is a traditional dessert from Valchiavenna. For the preparation of this simple cake, the simple, slowly and naturally leavened dough (made with flour, butter, eggs, and sugar) is flavored with fioretto, the chopped flowers of wild fennel, which give it a characteristical flavor. The use of wild fennel in cooking around Valchiavenna is quite recent - most often it is used to flavor soups, pancakes, and focaccia bread, to prepare liqueurs or grappa, and of course, for the renowned torta di fioretto. Nowadays, the original version is often enriched with a layer of apricot jam or blueberries in the dough.