The simplest apple and cinnamon pie you’ll keep baking long after the holidays

I remember a childhood in which I didn’t particularly like apples. There always seemed to be too many of them, so they became that kind of fruit you can never quite eat enough of to make it disappear from the table. In other words, there were simply too many apples until someone showed me my first apple pie recipe. Somewhere along the way, cinnamon entered the picture, and apple and cinnamon pie slowly became one of my favourite holiday desserts, thanks to its scent, taste and look.

Every year, driven by the urge to improve my baking skills, I look for ways to make something delicious yet simple, without complicated measurements or kitchen maths. The holiday season is perfect for experimenting, and Lamija Trešnjo Muharemi agrees. Better known as the author of the Sarajevo-based food blog Cherry on Top, she admits she spends much more time in the kitchen these days, preparing sweet treats.

Lamija was my inspiration for this new apple pie recipe. Each year I try plenty of new ideas, but I also return to a few long-standing favourites. This ultra-simple apple pie is one of them. It requires no special tools or ingredients, and everyone loves it once they try it, Lamija tells me. I have to admit, she convinced me. Below, you’ll find the recipe for the simplest apple and cinnamon pie, one I fully plan to keep making long after the holidays, as long as I have apples. I finally know what to do with them.

Photo: Hello Aesthe

Ingredients
(measured using a 300 ml cup)

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup semolina
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 packet vanilla sugar
• 1 packet baking powder
• 10 large apples
• cinnamon
• 100 ml milk
• 100 ml heavy cream
• 70 g butter

Method

• Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Grate the apples and mix them with cinnamon. In a baking dish, layer the mixture by adding a layer of the dry ingredients, followed by a layer of apples, then repeat until everything is used up. Finish with a layer of the dry mixture on top.
• Pierce the cake in several places. Heat the milk, cream and butter until melted, then pour evenly over the cake.
• Bake at 180°C for 45 to 50 minutes.
• Once baked, dust with powdered sugar, cut into squares and serve.
• Enjoy!