Tortionata

Tortionata or tortjonata is a crispy, crumbly almond cake from the city of Lodi, named after tortijon - a piece of twisted wire that was once used to cut the cake. Created in the 19th century by a pastry chef named Carlo Tacchinardi, it is made with flour, butter, sugar, almonds and lemon zest. In fact, it is pretty similar to the more famous sbrisolona, only made without cornflour. Tortionata is not sliced, but broken and served in pieces, then dusted with powdered sugar. Enjoy it with a glass of sweet Malvasia from the hills of Piacenza.