Grisbi

Grisbì is made in Italy by Vicenzi, a family run bakery from the Veneto known for its biscuits and pastries. The pack calls it L'Originale Grisbì, and the idea is unusual for a biscuit: a short, buttery style pastry shell wrapped right around a soft cream filling, so it eats more like a little tart than a sandwich biscuit.

We keep Grisbì in cream biscuits within biscuits and cookies in snacks and noodles. The hazelnut version carries a soft hazelnut cream that makes up a large share of each biscuit, inside a golden shortcrust that crumbles at the first bite. The biscuits are individually portioned in the pack so they keep their shape.

In Italy a biscuit like this goes with the mid morning espresso or a cappuccino, and here it is just as good with filter coffee or a pot of tea. Warm one for a few seconds and the filling softens like a fresh pastry. Serve two on a plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, break them over berries and whipped cream for a quick dessert, or keep a pack in the cupboard for unexpected guests.

Store in a cool, dry place out of the sun, since the cream softens in warm rooms, and finish an opened pack within a few days. For more biscuits from Europe and beyond, see the sweet biscuits shelf, and for something to drink with them, browse coffee.