Italian Apple Cake

Pine nuts and grapes give this apple cake a genuine Italian taste.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• Grated rind of one lemon
• 1/2 cup seedless red or green grapes
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/3 cup, plus 3 tablespoons, sugar
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sifted flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place apples in greased 9" oven proof glass pie plate. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons sugar and lemon rind over apples. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Cream butter with 1/3 cup sugar and then add egg. Sift flour and baking powder together and blend into butter. Remove apples from oven after 20 minutes and mix in with grapes and pine nuts. Spread batter over fruit and bake until cake is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

Number of Servings: 6

Notes from the Cook: Many European cultures have an apple cake but the pine nuts and grapes make it uniquely Italian.