Smells, fragrances and....... Flavours!

The polentina of Asti ...... a maraschino (italian cherries liqueur) marvel that smells of almonds, corn, holiday ......
Simple flavours and fragrances that remind me of the weekends and summer vacations, the fantastic three months after the closing of schools.

The most beautiful months of the year when we were all, uncles, aunts, cousins​​ ​​... and sometimes in passing, even friends, in a country house in a village near Asti, Serra Perno, a fraction of the town of Castell'Alfero.
Along the way we always stopped at a patisserie in Asti to buy this delicacy ........; but these are my memories, to you as I prepare the recipe for this cake.
                             POLENTINA  OF ASTI
125 gr. butter
150 gr sugar
three whole eggs plus three yolks (the three egg white you need later)
125 g corn flour (even if you do not find that can use  pre-cooked)
80 g potato starch
2 tablespoons Manitoba flour
grated rind of one lemon
50 gr. raisins
a stick of almond paste (250 gr.)
sponge cake finely crumbled
apricot jelly
maraschino ( or other white cherries liqueur)
PROCEDURE
soak the raisins with a glass of maraschino
with an electric mixer whisk the whole eggs plus three egg yolks with sugar, when fully assembled (well fitted),
add flour sifted together the lemon zest and
melted butter, add the drained raisins and flour;
mounts at steady snow the remaining three egg whites and add them
to the egg and flour, stirring from bottom x-up or disassemble the egg whites.
Pour the mixture into a baking pan (24/25 cm. diameter) greased and floured.
Put in hot oven (150 °) x  one hour ... even less, try the classic peg if the cooking is finished.
When cooked, turn the cake on a serving platter and let cool.
Meanwhile, prepare the syrup to soak it with a soft brush. 

SYRUP
Put in a saucepan  a glass of water, sugar to taste (50/100 g) and then dissolve the sugar once the sugar has melted, remove the pan from the heat and we'll add you the maraschino advanced by the raisins soaked (If you want a wet non-alcoholic just add the maraschino immediately with the water and sugar, so that the heat makes the alcohol evaporates);
with this syrup soaks the cake must be good quite wet (very wet !!!!), possibly increase the amount of syrup.

Now take two good spoonfuls of apricot jelly and melt with a bit of water in small saucepan at medium heat , brush the whole pie, well, well, the edges must be covered by a thin layer of jelly. 

Apart from take the cake with almond paste,  make a ball and put it on the floured surface with icing sugar of the pastry; if you do not have the pastry use the kitchen top covered with a piece of parchment paper that you hold on the plane with tape.
Stretch out your ball of almond paste with a rolling pin into a sheet of such magnitude that allows you to cover the whole cake (even the edge) ,for help you in this cover also the rolling pin with icing sugar. Spread the dough with the help of the rolling pin (rolled on the same rolling pin) and get the Roll Out on the cake.
Can you wrap tightly pressing lightly with your hands
and cut with a knife that is in excess.
Brush again the cake, so covered with almond paste,
with apricot jelly, dusting thoroughly with the sponge cake finely crumbled.
Mouth-watering