Torta di Mele e Amaretti

Photo by Regina Orlando

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Butter for the baking pan
2-3 tbsp. plain dried bread crumbs to coat the baking pan
1 cup golden raisins, soaked in lukewarm water to 20 minutes
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup dry Marsala wine, such as Florio or Pellegrino
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 lbs. Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
8 Amaretti di Saronno cookies, finely crumbled
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Powdered sugar

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and coat with bread crumbs a 10-inch spring form cake pan with a removable bottom.

Drain raisins and pat them dry with paper towels.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Marsala wine, sugar, and apples. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring, until the apples begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.

Scoop up the apples with a large slotted spoon, letting the excess juices fall back into the skillet, and place apples in a strainer. Put the apples in a large bowl. Over high heat, cook down the juices left in the skillet until you have about 1/4 cup of thick sauce. Stir the sauce into the apples.

Add the flour, breadcrumbs, amaretti, raisins and eggs to the apples, and mix well to combine. Place the apple mixture in the buttered baking pan and level top with a spatula. Shake the pan lightly to distribute the batter evenly. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a thin knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out just slightly moist. Cool to room temperature and serve.