If only everything was a piece of cake

I knew I wasn't supposed to say the computer problems were solved. Problem not solved - it got worse. Now it won't turn on at all. And if you're addicted to your computer for everything you do (including work) as I am, then you know what I've been experiencing for the last couple of days.
Well, if I'm not able to repair a computer at least I can have a piece of cake, can't I?
Luckily I have some photos stored on line and some of the posts half written so I may even be able (my husband permitting) to post something from my husband's computer. But I won't be able to show you more vacation photos this time.

I made this cake back in July, when nice juicy apricots were still available. I loved it and so did the kids (they removed fruit, however ^__^).
I found it very tasty and deliciously crumbly (tosted hazelnuts are fantastic and together with millet flakes certainly contributed to that part). I might have put more fruit, though, because it shrank in baking and because I love the contrast between sweet, nutty dough and the soft, a bit tangy but still sweet enough fruit.
Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
Why millet/millet flakes you may ask.


I bought a bag a few months ago because I needed it for a recipe I wanted to try. I really loved the taste and the texture it added to the pie crust I made.
And since I've read so many times how healthy and yet ignored millet is, I really decided to give it a try. I've been adding them to my regular yogurt, to smoothies etc., so I thought I might also substitute part of flour in this recipe.
If you don't have any and still want to try this recipe, reverse what I did, and add 160 g of wheat flour instead of flour + millet flakes combo.



Apple and Apricot Cake

1 apple
2-3 apricots
2 eggs
80 ml vegetable oil
60 g hazelnuts
150 g powdered sugar
1 TBspoons caster sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
100 g flour
60 g millet flakes
ground cinnamon + a TBspoon of sugar

Toast the hazelnuts for 7 minutes in an oven preheated to 170°C. Let them cool and then grind them in the food processor together with 1 tablespoon of caster sugar (as finely as you like).
Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and the powdered sugar until pale and thick. Lower the speed and add the oil in a thin streak. When oil is well incorporated, add the flour sifted together with the baking powder and mixed with the millet flakes and ground hazelnuts.
Line a 22cm round cake tin with a piece of baking paper (advice: soak a piece of paper big enough to cover the bottom and the sides, and then sqeeze out the excess water and press into your cake tin, no need to grease or flour it). Pour the cake batter in.
Peel, core and slice the apple. Wash, dry and stone the apricots. Divide each apricot in four.
Mix a tablespoon of sugar with a little cinnamon and dip apple slices to coat them well. Place apple slices and apricot quarts in circle over the batter pushing very gently in (they will sink during baking anyway). I also sprinkled the remaining cinnamon sugar over the top.

Bake the cake for about 30-40 minutes in an oven preheated to 175°C. My cake tin was a bit larger (26 cm, I think, so the cake is a bit thinner and it took me 30 minutes to bake. If you're using 22 cm tin, as indicated in the recipe, it will take a few minutes longer to bake).
Remove the cake from the tin lifting the baking paper and let it cool.



Torta con mele e albicocche

1 mela
2-3 albicocche
2 uova
80 ml olio di semi
60 g nocciole
150 g zucchero a velo
1 cucchiai di zucchero semolato
2 cucchiaini di lievito in polvere
100 g farina "00"
60 g fiocchi di miglio
un po' di cannella + un cucchiaio di zucchero semolato

Tostate le nocciole per 7 minuti nel forno riscaldato a 170°C.
Lasciatele raffreddare e poi tritatele nel mixer insieme a un cucchiaio di zucchero.
Sbattete bene le uova con lo zucchero a velo. Abbassate la velocità e aggiungete a filo l’olio. Unite poi la farina mescolata con il lievito, fiocchi di miglio e le nocciole tritate.
Ricoprite uno stampo rotondo di diametro 22 cm (il mio era un po' più grande) con un pezzo di carta da forno, bagnata e strizzata bene.
Versate il composto preparato nello stampo.
Sbucciate la mela e tagliatela a fettine. Mescolate un cucchiaio di zucchero con un po’ di cannella (a piacere) e mescolate con le fettine di mela per ricoprirle bene.
Togliete il nocciolo alle albicocche e dividetele in quattro. Distribuite le fettine di mela e le albicocche sopra l’impasto alternandole.
Cuocete la torta nel forno già caldo a 175°C, per 30-40 minuti circa (controllate con uno stuzzicadenti). Togliete il dolce dallo stampo e lasciatelo raffreddare prima di servire.




Kolač s jabukama i marelicama

1 manja jabuka
2-3 marelice
2 jaja
80 ml ulja
60 g lješnjaka
150 g šećera u prahu
1 žlica kristal šećera
2 (ravne) žličice praška za pecivo
100 g brašna
60 g pahuljica prosa
malo cimeta + žlica šecera

Zagrijte pećnicu na 170°C pa stavite unutra lješnjake i popecite ih 7 minuta. Ostavite ih da se ohlade a zatim ih sameljite u mikseru (multipratiku) zajedno s 1 žlicom kristal šećera.
Umutite pjenasto jaja sa šećerom u prahu. Smanjite brzinu miksera pa dodajte u tankom mlazu ulje, a nakon toga pomalo brašno prosijano s praškom za pecivo, pahuljice prosa i mljevene lješnjake.
Ulijte tijesto u okrugli kalup promjera 22 cm koji ste prekrili komadom papira za pečenje (odrežite komad papira dovoljno veliki da pokrije dno i prelazi preko stranica, namočite ga vodom i dobro iscijedite pa utisnite u kalup – nije ga potrebno poslije mastiti ni brašniti).
Ogulite jabuku i narežite na ploške. Marelice operite izvadite koštice i podijelite svaku na četvrtine. Pomiješajte jednu žlicu šećera s malo cimeta, umočite u to kriške jabuke pa ih rasporedite u krug po tijestu, naizmjenično s marelicama. Po želji pospite ostatak šećera s cimetom po cijeloj površini.
Pecite u pećnici zagrijanoj na 175°C, 30-40 minuta (provjerite čačkalicom ubodenom u dio gdje nema voća – mora izaći suha).
Podignite kolač zajedno s papirom i izvadite iz kalupa. Ostavite ga da se ohladi prije posluživanja.