Apple Lingotto

The Apple Lingotto is a delicious and sophisticated dessert. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 2 large apples (preferably Golden or Renette)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Kitchen blowtorch (for caramelizing)
• 200 ml of water
• 1 sheet of puff pastry (about 230g if pre-made)
• Vanilla ice cream or English cream to accompany (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by peeling the apples and removing the cores. Then cut them into thin slices.
2. Put the apple slices in a pan with water, brown sugar, lemon juice, and the seeds scraped from the vanilla bean. Cook over medium-low heat until the apples are soft.
3. Once cooked, drain the apples from the liquid and let them cool completely.
4. Take the puff pastry and roll it out on a lightly floured surface, cutting it into rectangles big enough to contain your apples (usually about 10x20 cm).
5. Lay the caramelized apple slices in a row along the pastry rectangles, leaving about a 1 cm border on all sides.
6. Roll the pastry around the apples to create “lingots.” Seal the edges well by pressing with your fingers or with a fork.
7. Preheat the oven to 180°C and, in the meantime, let the lingots rest in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes.
8. Bake them until they become golden and crispy, for about 20-25 minutes.
9. Take them out of the oven and, if desired, caramelize the top with a kitchen blowtorch, moving quickly so as not to burn the sugar.
10. Let the lingots cool for a few minutes before serving.

You can accompany them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some English cream to add a touch of creaminess.

Curiosity

The name “Lingotto” for this dessert comes from the elongated and compact shape that resembles the eponymous metal ingot. Apart from the elegant appearance, the caramelization on the apples offers not only a crunchy note but also a refined contrast of flavors between the sweet and the tartness of the apple.