Apple Almond Linzer Torte

By popular demand (read: a few people asked), here’s the recipe I use for my Apple Almond Linzer Torte. It’s mostly faithful to a recipe I transcribed from an issue of Family Circle about 30 years ago. (I can’t find it online, otherwise I’d absolutey credit the orignal author!) Nothing in this is complicated – I’m no pastry chef – although it does take some time.

Photo of a finished Apple Almond Linzer Torte

Ingredients
2 C flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 C unsalted butter
1 C granulated white sugar
½ C (6 oz.) apple jelly (not mint!)
½  C sliced almonds (or equivalent in almond meal)
2 lg. eggs
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus more to keep apple slices from browning
1 tsp. vanilla
½ C finely chopped almonds
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges
Confectioners’ sugar and gold dusting sugar as garnish

Directions

    1. Place oven rack at lowest position; preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    2. Grease 9-inch springform pan.
    3. Mix flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.
    4. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
    5. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then lemon juice and vanilla.
    6. Stir in flour mixture and chopped almonds a bit at a time until well blended.
    7. Measure out 2/3 C batter and set aside. Spread remainder in bottom of prepared pan.
    8. Starting ¼ inch from the edge of pan, arrange about 1½ cups of the apples in a circle, slightly overlapping. Form another circle on top into remaining apples, starting ½ inch from center of pan.
    9. Melt 1/4 cup jelly and brush over apples.
    10. Drop teaspoonfuls of the reserved batter around outside edge and spread with back of spoon to make a ½ inch border. Fill center of torte with remaining batter.
    11. Scatter sliced almonds in center and around the border.
    12. Bake 1 hour or so until golden.
    13. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Remove pan sides.
    14. Melt remaining ¼ cup jelly and brush apples again.
    15. Cool completely on rack.
    16. Sprinkle border and center with confectioners’ sugar.

    Notes

    • My son omits the chopped almonds when he makes this. He says he prefers the taste and texture without it. I compromise and use ground almonds.
    • Instead of dropping teaspoons of dough around the border, I put the 2/3C dough into a ziploc, seal it, cut the corner off, and use it as a pastry sleeve to pipe it around the edge.
    • For the apple wedges, I use an 8-slice corer-slicer after I’ve peeled the apples. I then cut each slice in half and then in half again.

Author

  • Arlene Wszalek

    Arlene Wszalek is a strategist, advisor, speaker, and cultural observer. Until recently, she served as Executive Vice President of Strategy & Innovation at Allied Global Marketing, a global agency known for performance-based, idea-driven campaigns that shape culture and drive results. Arlene has lived and worked in both the U.S. and the U.K., and her experience spans media, entertainment, technology, travel, and the arts. She holds a BA from Smith College and is a member of the Television Academy (ATAS), the Recording Academy (NARAS) and the Producers Guild of America..

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