Peel and slice the Renette apples.

Place them in a saucepan with the butter and wine, stirring with a spoon. Cook the apples until they dry out and almost completely break down, which takes about 30 minutes.

At the end of cooking, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to help thicken the mixture, and stir. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

Place the Amaretti cookies into a large bag. Seal the bag tightly, ensuring no air remains inside. Position the sealed bag on a flat surface. Take a rolling pin and firmly roll it over the bag, applying even pressure. Continue rolling until the Amaretti cookies have broken down into small crumbs. Carefully open the bag once you achieve the desired crumb texture of the Amaretti cookies. The Amaretti crumbs are now ready to use in your recipe as needed.

Preheat the oven to 170 °C in static mode. Grease and flour a cake pan of about cm 24 diameter.

In a large bowl add the crushed Amaretti cookies, the cocoa powder, sugar, spices, salt, and grated lemon zest. Mix well.

Add the milk and eggs, stirring to combine.

Add the cooked apples and thoroughly incorporate them into the batter.

Pour the batter into the pan, forming a layer about 5 cm thick.

Bake for 1 hour, or until the cake is dry (check with a toothpick) and a thin crust has formed on top.

Allow the cake to cool completely (The next day, it will taste even better), then optionally dust with powdered sugar to serve.

Serve with a dessert wine like Passito or Moscato. Optionally, top the slices with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.