Special Organic Recipe: Torta di Mele

An Apple a Day

There is something about October that makes me think: APPLES! Get ’em! Last weekend, after doing a lap around the farmers’ market, I started buying one or two apples from this farm, then from another, then another. Then I got some cider. Before I knew it, my bag was full and heavy. Throughout the week I’ve enjoyed most of my suncrisps, cameos, gold rushes and others as afternoon snacks, chopped up one and put it in a dish with sweet potatoes, and now have baked with one. Now that another weekend is here, I will be returning to the market for more!

The following recipe was originally published in Eating Well. It’s one of my favorite things that my dad makes, and I have included some of his tips as well as my own. Buon appetito!

Torta di Mele

Serves 6-12, depending on hunger

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2/3 cup of milk (soy, dairy or other)
• 2-3 cups apples (1 very large apple was enough for me)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-inch round pan. (If yours is smaller, don’t use all the batter or apples.) Dust the pan lightly with flour.

Beat eggs in a large bowl. Mix in 1/4 cup sugar and beat well. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and lemon zest. Whisk milk into egg-sugar mixture. Whisk in flour mixture. Set aside for 15 minute to let dough rise.

Peel, core, quarter, then slice the apples into thin slices. You can squeeze a small amount of lemon juice onto the apple slices to keep them from browning.

Pour the batter into the pan and smooth out. Then, arrange the apple slices on the batter in a circle, overlapping slightly and pressing them mostly into the batter. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup sugar over the apples.

Bake for about 45 minutes. If the dough is not quite done but the top has a nice, golden color or is even slightly browned, cover with foil. (My oven is cool, I baked this for about an hour.)

Cool for five minutes and remove carefully. Serve warm.

Photo Credit: Flickr CC User bornOKthefirsttime