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Torte di Mele (Apple Cake)

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Apple tart and sage

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Here we go again, posting more dessert recipes when it is supposed to be “resolution month”! Don’t we ALL say “no more sweets EVER after Christmas, EVER?” Relate? I know, guilty as charged!

I do break code with this recipe because of the simplicity, both in preparation and flavor (and because I honestly can’t resist some sweets in January). I make this torta anytime of the year and feel good about indulging, not heavy on sugar or flour and the texture of the fruit is magnificent.

I know I am prejudice but Italians really are brilliant and I LOVE their choices of desserts, enhancement at the end of a meal NOT complete gluttony. ONE of the many many reasons I am so very proud of my heritage….so tough to be so perfect…LOL

I came up with this yummy dessert after an Italian friend of mine told me about a torte di mele that her mother made back home in Milan. It sounded SO amazing and I knew I could figure a way re-create something close…at least I hoped since I hadn’t actually tasted or seen her version. What did I have to lose? Certainly, my January resolution…..

Whether it was luck or not I’ll never know but what came out of the oven was something close to sugar cookie crust topped with soft, sweet apples…..I then finished it with raw sugar and a little cinnamon. I might have been able to pass it off as breakfast of champions but that might be pushing it. Nonetheless, it was spectacular…..really spectacular.

So, it you didn’t make any resolutions or simply don’t care, make this and then eat it warm with a little vanilla gelato or mascarpone whip cream…you will thank me, I promise.

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Torte di Mele
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 3 Golden Delicious Apples (or pears if you want), peeled and sliced thin
  • 1 lemon, juice only
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 stick of butter, melted
Instructions
  1. Peel and slice apples, put in a bowl and top with lemon juice. Stir and set aside.
  2. In a kitchen aide mixer, mix together flour, baking powder, egg, and melted butter. If it looks too thick, add some milk to thin out. It should resemble a "liquid" cookie dough but spreadable.
  3. Butter a pie or tart dish. Pour in the batter and smooth all over and up the sides. Arrange apples or pears in a spiral shape and keep layering til finished.
  4. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until crust is golden, apples won't change color much.
  5. Remove and sprinkle raw sugar and cinnamon over the top.
  6. Serve with vanilla gelato or mascarpone whip cream!

 

Marsala Wine Taralli Cookies

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Every Christmas we had a plethora of cookies to completely OD on! We baked the traditional American ones, gingerbread, ice box with gobs of frosting, and peanut butter kisses, to name a few, but my ALL time favorites were our traditional Italian cookies or biscotti. They just brought me a sense of home in a soul-filled way. They aren’t as sweet and typically are meant to “dunk” and since I am a coffee/dessert wine kinda girl, these fit perfectly into my world! Round these off with some cheese and you have created heaven after a meal. I’m simple, what can I say…well sorta…..

We always had 2-3 kinds of biscotti, drizzled with white, milk, or dark chocolate and dotted with various dried fruit and nut mixtures and to accompany the variety of those were my other favorite, the taralli. These cute little “donut” shaped rings are simply divine! After all 1/2 cup of marsala wine mixed with flour and sugar, what isn’t to love about that? After baking, they are dipped into a lemon glaze and into my mouth, one by one. I like to dunk them while warm so the lemon icing “seeps” into the cookie but if you want to have the glaze be more apparent, wait until they are cool and then dip. They look like mini frosted donuts, so cute.

So after a night of caroling or wrapping, we always sat down to our buffet of cookies, a drink of choice, and great conversation….now that’s is the magic of Christmas.

Marsala Wine Taralli Cookies
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Cookies
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 2½ dozen
Ingredients
  • FOR THE COOKIES
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup Marsala wine
  • FOR THE ICING
  • 2 tablespoons milk, more if needed
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In a separate larger bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg until well combined. Stir in the olive oil and wine. Slowly add the flour mixture until well combined, kneading slightly until the dough is easy to handle and medium-soft.
  4. On a clean surface, use your hands and roll the dough into ½-inch-thick, cigarlike rolls. Cut each cigar into 6-inch pieces, folding each piece into a loop-shape. Press the dough with fingers to seal together. Place on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly golden. Remove to a cooling rack and cool completely.
  6. If you wish to ice them, whisk 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 1 cup confectioners' sugar. It should be the consistency of thick whipping cream. Dip one side of the cookie in the glaze and let dry.

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