A sweet afternoon treat coupled with a hot cup of tea is especially exquisite. Instead of cake,try some apple crumble, or sbriciolata alle mele.
The recipe's below, and you can find some additional tips in the photo gallery above.
Apple Crumble (Sbriciolata alle Mele)
Ingredients:
For the shortcrust pastry:
2 cups all-purpose
½ cup sugar
1 stick butter
1 pinch salt
1 lemon, grated (zest only)
1 egg
baking powder
For the custard:
2 oz. flour or cornstarch
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
2 cup milk
1 sachet vanillin
For the mixture:
2 apples
½ lemon, juice only
1 Tbsp. sugar
Method
Cut the apples into ½″ chunks and place them in a pot. Add the lemon juice and 1 tsp. sugar, then let sit over low heat for around 10 minutes, then let them cool.
For the custard
Pour cold milk into a bowl, add the flour or cornstarch, then start whipping with a whisk. Add the eggs, sugar, and vanillin, and keep stirring until it's all mixed together. Take a pot and with the help of a strainer, pour in the mixture and cook over low heat, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat and then transfer the custard into a bowl, taking care to cover it with plastic wrap, making sure it touches the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool.
For the shortcrust pastry
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Meanwhile in a bowl, add the flour, sugar, sifted yeast, a pinch of salt, and grated lemon peel. Add the melted butter and egg, and knead with your hands to form large crumbs.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place ⅔ of the dough in a baking tin lined with parchment paper, pressing lightly. Pour the custard over the base of shortcrust pastry, leaving about ½″ from the edges. Cover with the apple chunks and then with the last layer of shortcrust pastry crumbs. Bake for about 30 minutes. Let it rest before serving.