If you love Tortes, but have been looking for a lighter filling, rather than the traditional butter cream one, this is a great recipe for you.  The cake layers are very thin, and the filling is mostly apples, with a nice caramel glaze.

My sister-in-law shared this recipe with me, and I tried my best to convert the metric measures to cups, and spoons.

She actually has  a nice collection of really great recipes, but they need some modifications here and there, to make them more precise.

This torte is quite easy to assemble, and to cut into serving pieces, since it is in a sheet cake form, rather than the usual round shape.

Torte Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour, all purpose
• 1 cup sugar, granulated
• 2 cups butter, unsalted
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 Tbs sour cream
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 3 tsp. baking powder

Torte Directions:

1. Sift the flour with baking powder, and salt.
2. Set aside.
3. Grate the butter on a large eye grater, over flour.
4. Using a pastry cutter, cut together the flour and butter.
5. Set aside.
6. Beat the egg yolks with sugar, until light and fluffy.
7. Mix in vanilla extract, and sour cream.
8. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, and form dough.
9. Divide dough into 3 equal parts.
10. Grease and flour, three sheet cake pans, 9 x 13 x 2.
11. Spread evenly 1/3 portion of the batter, in each pan (I placed scoops of the batter all over the pan, then using the back of a spoon, I spread the batter evenly over the bottom of the pan).
12. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and bake the cakes for 15-20 minutes, until golden.
13. Remove from the oven, and cool off in the pans, loosening up around the edges for easier removal.

Apple Filling Ingredients

• 8 apples, pared, cored, and shredded on a large eye shredder (I used 4 Granny Smith, and 4 Gala)
• 1 single package of lemon, or orange jello ( I used orange, but next time will try the lemon)
• 1 Tbs. of butter
• 1 tsp. of lemon juice

Directions for Apple Filling:

1. Heat a large frying pan, melt the butter to coat the bottom of the pan.
2. Mix in shredded apples.
3. Lower the heat to medium, cover pan, and saute for 10 minutes. Mixing occasionally.
4. Mix in the jello powder, and lemon juice.
5. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool off.
6. Remove one of the cakes from a pan, and lay it on a serving platter, or tray (I used a large cookie sheet, lined with aluminum foil).
7. Divide the apple filling in half.

7.  Spread first half of the filling over the first cake.

8.  Place the second cake over the filling.

9.  Spread the second half of the apple filling over this cake.

10.  Cover it with the third cake.

11.  Set aside.

Caramel-Nut Glaze Ingredients:

• ¾ cup chopped nuts (I used Pecans)
• ¾ cup sugar, granulated
• 3 Tbs. milk
• 3 Tbs. honey
• 5 Tbs. butter

Directions for Caramel-Nut Glaze:

1. Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan.
2. Bring to boil, and cook for 1 minute.

3.  Pour hot glaze over the top of the cake, and spread evenly.

4.  Cool slightly, and score the top of the glaze all the way through, to the first cake layer, to prepare for easier

cutting into serving pieces, later on.

5.  Once the glaze cools completely, you may continue to cut through the other layers of the cake, to form  serving

pieces.  Otherwise, may cover the cake with aluminum foil, and store it in the refrigerator, until ready to serve, at

which time you will cut it up into serving pieces.
TIP: This cake is firmer right after assembly, but later on the cake layers pick up the moisture from the apple filling, and become very moist.  The Caramel/Nut glaze tends to separate slightly away from the top of the cake, so for serving ease, I arranged my serving pieces on a serving platter, in individual cupcake liners.  For a better presentation, I trimmed about 1/2 inch of f ,  from all the sides of the cake, before cutting it into serving pieces.

If you have been checking out my previous posts, and printed out some great recipes to try out for Passover, you will be happy to know that I saved a fabulous one for this post.

I am told that this recipe for Chocolate Toffee Matzos has been mentioned, several years back, on the  Dallas Morning News, and my friend was so kind to share it with me.

As you know, I only post recipes I try myself, and post my own pictures of the finished product.

This recipe calls for few simple ingredients, takes only minutes to complete, and the outcome is unbelievably rewarding.

You will definitely make these for your family and friends for any occasion, not just for Passover.

I was able to fill two 13 x 18 cookie sheets, thus the total piece count depends on the size you select for your serving pieces.  In total, you will end up with about 2 lbs. of candy.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. of Matzoh (approximately 10 – 12 sheets
• 1 cup butter (or margarine)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 12 oz. chocolate chips (1bag)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
• 1 cup toffee candy bits

Directions:

1. Line two 13 x 18 x 1 cookie sheet pan with aluminum foil (to protect your pan for getting very messy)
2. Cover the bottom of the lined cookie sheets with Matzoh (start with whole ones, then break the additional ones into smaller section as needed to cover the whole bottom of the cookie sheet).
3. Place butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan.
4. Bring it o boil on a medium heat, and cook it for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until it gets all foamy and begins to coat your spoon.
5. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
6. Remove from the stove, pour gently over the Matzoh layer.  I used a gravy ladle to scoop the mixture onto the Matzoh, then used the back of a spoon to spread it evenly all over the Matzoh.
7. Place it in the preheated oven,  on the middle rack, and bake for about 3 minutes, or when you see it bubbling.
8. Watch your oven carefully, since this mixture burns very quickly.
9. Remove from oven.
10. Sprinkle half of the chocolate chips over the hot Matzoh in one pan, and save the second half for the next pan.
11. Place the cookie sheet back into the oven, and bake for another minute, to soften the chocolate chips.
12. Remove from the oven, and using the back of a spoon, spread the chocolate evenly all over the Matzoh.
13. Sprinkle the chocolate with 1/2 of the chopped nuts and toffee bits.
14. Set aside to cool completely.
15. Follow the same process for your second pan of Matzoh.
16. Once cooled completely, and he chocolate is totally set, you may break it up to any size pieces you wish, and store in a refrigerator, in an air tight container.

I came across this recipe, and the mere fact which caught my eye, was that even though the cake is baked, it does not require any batter mixing.

Since I had all the necessary ingredients on hand, and knowing that Rosh Hashanah is just around the corner, thus perfect time to whip up a quick apple dessert,  so I gave it a try.

I was quite skeptical about shaving all the butter on top of the dry ingredients, but gave it a try nonetheless.

This recipe is so simple, thus perfect for even the beginner baker.  The finished product is not heavy, not too sweet, and may be served warm or cold, plain or with choice of topping.

I served it warm with a scoop of ice cream, drizzled  with caramel sauce, and next day a we had it cold, topped off with whipped cream.

The first day it was slightly crunchy, but by the next day the moisture from the apples penetrated all the layers more evenly, and smoothed out the texture.

Ingredients:

• 6 Granny Smith apples, washed, peeled, shredded
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup Cream of Wheat cereal, uncooked
• 1 cup sugar
• 1  1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup Pecans, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup ( 1  1/2 stick) frozen butter). Piece of parchment or waxed paper.

Granny Smith Apples                          Cream of Wheat cereal

Directions:

1. Wash, peel, and core, apples.
2. Shred apples on a large eye grater, mix in cinnamon, and set aside.

3.  In a large bowl, mix flour, cream of wheat, sugar, and baking powder.

4.  Cut out a circle from a parchment paper, large enough to cover the bottom of the cake pan.

I used a 10-inch Springform Cake Pan, placed it on top of parchment paper, traced around the bottom of the form, and cut out the circle

5.  Smudge some butter on the bottom of the baking pan (to hold down the paper).

6.  Lay the parchment paper circle on the bottom of the form.

7.  Grease well the paper bottom, and the sides of the pan.

8.  Divide the flour mixture into three equal portions ( 1 cup each).

9.  Sprinkle evenly 1 cup of flour mixture on the papered bottom cake pan.

10.  Divide apples in two equal portions, and spread one portion on top of the dry ingredients (I dropped spoonfuls

of apples strategically all over the dry ingredients, then with a spoon smoothed them out carefully as not to

disturb the dry bottom layer too much) .

11.  Cover apples with another cup of dry ingredients.

12.  Spread the remaining apples over this layer.

13.  Cover with remaining flour mixture.

14.  Cover this top layer with shavings of butter, by grating frozen butter on the same large eye grater as apples.

15.  Preheat over to 350 degrees F, and bake on the middle rack, for 60 minutes.  Don’t panic if you notice that there is a pool of melted butter on the top of your cake. During the course of baking, the butter will be absorbed by the dry ingredients, combined with the apples juices, which will saturate the consecutive layers.  Some butter will drip out of the baking pan, thus to prevent messing up your oven, place a larger pan (I use a pizza pan)  under the cake pan, to  catch the dripping butter and apple juices.

16.  During the last 10 minutes of baking, sprinkle the top of the cake with chopped pecans, and continue baking.

17.  Once done, remove from the oven onto a cooling rack, and let it cool for 10 minutes, then release pan spring and remove sides.

If you choose to serve it warm, use a serrated knife for easier slicing.

I love baking, but since so many of my “consumers” are trying to eat healthfully, or experiment with different diets now and then, I try to support them, and do not bake as much.  I also need to learn from their good judgment and cut down on these indulgences myself.

However, when Holidays come around, and parties are to be attended to, and family and friends to join for some merry making, I get back to my baking.

I also like to try new recipes, just to expand my horizons a bit, so today I will post a recipe for Pecan Butter Balls, which I found on one of the blogs I visit regularly, and Suzy is a super baker.  I baked Butter Balls before, but these are so much lighter, and use pecans rather than walnuts, which I love so much.

I have slightly modified her recipe for my use, so I will post my version here for you:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted flour, all purpose white
• 1 cup pecans, ground up
• Powdered sugar for topping

Directions:

1. Cream the butter with powdered sugar.
2. Add vanilla extract and salt, and mix it in well.
3. Gradually add sifted flour, and continue mixing.
4. Mix in chopped pecans.
5. Cover the dough and keep in the fridge for an hour, or overnight.
6. Using a tea spoon, scoop dough and form into balls.
7. Place balls on a greased cookie sheet, leaving some space between each.
8. Preheat oven to 350°F.
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until set (they will start cracking if baked too long)
10. Gently, remove onto cookie cooling racks.
11. Cool completely.
12. Roll in thoroughly in powdered sugar.

Store in an airtight container in a cool place, or serve immediately.

Tip. These are very delicate when hot, and can fall apart very easily. Be gentle when removing from hot pan for

cooling.  Also, keep handling to minimum, until totally cooled.

Is there anyone out there who did not try some sort of a diet program during their lifetime? I guess most of us tried “a diet” to either lose weight, to shape up for health reasons, or to fit into that favorite dress, or to impress a special person in our life.  Some diets are simpler to follow than others, and some sound better than others, so everyone needs to find one that works the best for them.  Of course, it is always wise to first consult with your health care provider, before making that final decision.

Dieting is not an easy task to keep up with, but worse yet, what do you do about celebrating a Birthday, and you need a special cake for the occasion.   How about a cake for someone on Atkins Diet (high fat and extremely low carbs), which means no sugar and no flour……a couple of main ingredients you always use in making cakes!

Google.com to the rescue!!  I found a real nice recipe for a Sugar Free Pecan Chocolate Cake, but I was quite skeptical about the outcome of this project….cake without flour or real sugar…only sugar substitutes….??? Would it taste like chocolate flavored cardboard???  Would it be very dense?   Would it be very flat???

To make a long story short, the cake turned out great, but since I am not a big advocate  of sugar substitutes, I missed the real sugar taste in the frosting.  However, as the old saying goes “If you can’t have the original, you have to settle for a copy”.

Here is a picture of my cake, and a recipe, in case you find yourself in a similar situation:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pecans (finely ground)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup (I stick) butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup of Splenda
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. Grease two 8 or 9″ round pans.
3. Process pecans in food processor – pulse until they are meal – but they won’t get quite as small as corn meal (I used a nut grinder).
4. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and pulse again.
5. Add the wet ingredients and process until well-blended.
6. Pour into pans and bake for 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and cool before frosting.

Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup Splenda
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbs. butter (softened)

Mix all ingredients well, to a spreading consistency, and frost the cake.