The cherry season was beautiful, and we enjoyed sweet cherries for more than a month. Of course, my favorite way to use cherries is to eat them fresh, directly from the tree. Still, as this year's produce was abundant, I was craving American-style cherry pie. For this recipe, I used my go-to all-butter crust recipe, which is simple, with just a few essential ingredients, and fool-proof. The result is a super flaky, buttery crust that will make your pie delicious and perfect.

HOW TO MAKE A PERFECT PIE CRUST

This dough pie recipe is straightforward and requires five ingredients: all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, butter, and water. But, as simple as the ingredients are, here are some tips on what to do ( and not to do :)) to have a perfectly flakey crust every time you bake.

• Butter should be very cold. Mixing the dough with your hands, especially in summer, will warm up the mixture, so you want to ensure that the butter doesn't melt. Cold butter is what makes the pie crust flakey.
 
• Water should be cold as well. Start adding water a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture starts to come together. You may not need all the water, and the number of tablespoons can also depend on the type of butter and flour.
 
• Don't knead the dough! You want to mix the ingredients just enough to create a ball from the dough. Kneading the dough will make the dough tough.
 
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface and turn it clockwise for each roll. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the surface and help you roll out evenly.

• Let the dough chill in the fridge for 40 minutes to 1 hour before rolling it out. This will cool the butter again and prevent the dough from breaking apart.
 
• Once you have filled the pie and decorated it, put it back in the fridge for 15 minutes (use egg-wash only before baking). This will allow the top to cool, and decorations will keep their shape during the baking.
 
• The dough can be kept in the fridge for 2 days, or you can freeze it in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Allow it to come to room temperature when you are ready to roll it out into a pie crust.

how to make homemade cherry filling

When it comes to cherry filling, I used whole, pitted fresh cherries that were not too sweet, but you can also use sour cherries or regular sweet cherries for this recipe. The filling is easy to adjust, and you can add a few more tablespoons of sugar if needed, depending on how sweet you want your cherry filling to be. This homemade cherry filling is sweet and tangy on point, comes together in no time, and can be made in advance. A few tips on how to make a perfect filling every time:

• You may use your favorite cherry variety for the cherry pie filling – or mix. But if you decide to use all sour cherries, add an extra 4 tbsp of sugar to the filling. You can also use frozen cherries for the recipe. 

• Because fruit-based pies tend to bake up runny, I pre-cook the filling before adding it to the pie. This step ensures a sliceable pie every time. Just be sure to cool the filling completely before adding it to the crust.

• Keep a close eye on the cherry pie filling after it comes to a boil. After it reaches the boiling point, it begins to thicken fast. So be sure to lower the heat right away and cook it just until it starts thickening. You want it thick but still juicy. 

HOMEMADE CHERRY PIE
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8 

For the crust

320g all-purpose flour

2 tbsp granulated sugar

pinch of salt

160g very cold butter

5-8 tbsp ice-cold water

FOR THE filling

350g cherries, washed and pitted

60ml water

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp lemon juice

100-120g white sugar (adjusted accordingly to sweetness of cherries)

zest from 1 lemon

1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp milk for brushing

2 tbsp brown sugar for dusting 

METHOD

Prepare the crust:

In a bowl, mix flour, salt, and sugar. Add cold butter, and using your hands or pastry cutter, incorporate the butter into the mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. Start adding water, a tablespoon at a time, and gently stir with a spatula or wooden spoon. Sometimes you will need less or more water than indicated, depending on the flour and butter used. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps, it's not too sticky and can be formed in a bowl.

Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface, and using floured hands, form a ball. Put the dough in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 40 minutes to 1 hour. You can prepare the dough even the day before.

Prepare the cherry filling:

Wash and clean cherries. You need pitted whole or halved cherries. Whisk together the water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cornstarch. Set aside. In a large saucepan, add the cherries and the sugar. Pour the cornstarch mixture over top and turn on the heat to medium. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture begins to boil, lower the heat to simmer and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the mixture thickens but it's still juicy. It is important that you stir the mixture at regular intervals to prevent the sauce from burning. Leave to cool completely before filling out the pie. 

Assembling and baking:

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 F).  

Take out the chilled dough and transfer it to a floured surface. Gently press the dough with your rolling pin, starting from the center, as the dough is very firm. Turn the dough with your hands clockwise at each roll so that dough doesn't stick to the surface. Roll out the dough in a large circle ( 3-5 mm thick), then helping yourself with a rolling pin, transfer the dough to the baking pan. Trim any extra dough and save it for decoration. Fold in the edges and press them with your fingers to make a fluted edge. Pour the cherry filling. Roll out the rest of the dough for decoration. With a knife, create stripes ( I used a mixture of thin and thick stripes). Place the dough strips over the filling in a lattice pattern. Seal the edges with some water, and decorate the borders with cut-out leaves. Put the pie in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Beat the egg yolk with 1 tbsp milk. When the pie is chilled, brush it with egg mixture and sprinkle with 2 tbsp brown sugar. Bake for 40-50 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius (350 F) or until golden brown and filling is bubbly. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving. This will help the filling set, making it easier to cut the pie. Serve warm or cold with ice cream or whipped cream.

With the Easter holidays around the corner, I have already started thinking about refreshing desserts to share with my family and friends. Lemon Meringue Pie is one of those recipes that are both pretty and delicious - perfect for gatherings and special occasions. Lemon pie could be served with some whipped cream on top, but whipping and toasting Italian meringue makes it way more interesting both in looks and taste.

The recipe includes three steps:

1. Preparing a homemade shortcrust pastry and blind-baking it until golden

2. Making silky lemon curd as filling

3.Whipping Italian meringue and toasting it with a culinary torch.

HOW TO PREPARE A FULL-PROOF PIE CRUST

For this recipe, I am using a shortcrust pastry made with egg yolk, honey, water, flour, and butter. The honey in the recipe is optional but will help you achieve that nice, golden color of the crust. This recipe is my go-to recipe when baking pies filled with cream, as it creates this soft dough that is easy to use and, once baked, results in a flaky, buttery base. You can prepare the dough either by hand or in a stand mixer - just make sure to use low speed when incorporating the flour. As soon as the flour traces disappear, your dough is ready to be chilled in the fridge. Make sure not to overmix. Overmixing will "wake up" the gluten in the flour, developing an elastic and gummy texture for your dough.

how to perfectly blind bake your crust

For those who are not very familiar with this term, blind baking is partially or entirely baking the pie before adding the filling. This will result in a crisp pastry shell that can be then filled with your favorite cream, in this case, lemon curd.

The whole process is pretty simple. All you need to do is roll out the dough and transfer it to your baking pan. With a fork, create a few wholes to prevent the rising of the dough. Then line the unbaked pie crust with parchment paper and weigh it down with either pie weights or dry beans (this option is cheaper, and you can reuse them for all your future pie recipes). I usually use either dry white beans or dry chickpeas. A note to that: the beans used for blind baking can not be used for cooking later on - so make sure to store them in a different jar for future bakings.

Preheat your oven according to the recipe, and bake the tart for 15 minutes. Once the crust is set and the edges are golden, remove the weights/beans and leave the crust to bake thoroughly, usually for another 8-10 minutes, depending on the oven. Let it cool before filling with lemon curd.

HOW TO MAKE A HOMEMADE LEMON CURD

Lemon curd is easy to make, and you need four simple ingredients: lemons, sugar, eggs, and butter. Mixing these ingredients and bringing them to heat will create a delicious, silky lemon curd with a fantastic, tangy flavor. Lemon curd can be stored for a couple of days in the fridge and used for different recipes - scones, cakes, pancakes, and pies. To prevent any lumps, whisk the cream constantly until thickened. Once you get the desired texture, add in butter, whisk until melted, then cover with plastic wrap. In that way, your lemon curd will stay creamy and will not create a so-called "skin" on the top while cooling.

how to prepare italian meringue

While sometimes preparing a meringue could sound terrifying, Italian meringue is easy to follow. The result is this silky, beautiful meringue that you can use on top of your cake.

Italian meringue is so silky, thick, and delicious, and perfect for covering the cakes as it is safe to eat due to mixing the egg whites with hot sugar syrup. It is made by cooking a sugar syrup, then adding that hot syrup to whipping egg whites. To have a perfectly whipped meringue, make sure to have a thermometer, as it will be of enormous help while preparing the syrup. If you are going for a toasted meringue-like in the pictures, make sure to have a culinary torch. Every kitchen should have one, especially if you love meringue. Finishing off the cakes and pies with some toasted meringue is both delicious and beautiful to see, so I highly recommend you to try it out. Making a meringue will be easier if you have a stand mixer running on itself, but the hand mixer could work as well. Make sure to add syrup slowly and beat the eggs continuously until the result is super glossy meringue and stiff peaks are formed.

LEMON MERINGUE PIE
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves  8-1O 

For the crust

170g butter

70g powdered sugar

1 tbsp honey

1 egg yolk (leave the egg white for the meringue)

pinch of salt 

1 tsp water

zest of half lemon

290g all-purpose flour

FOR THE lemon curd 

2 whole eggs, room temperature

2 egg yolks, room temperature ( leave the egg whites for the meringue)

120g granulated sugar

juice from 2 medium lemons

zest from 1 lemon

110g butter

FOR THE ITALIAN MERINGUE 

3 egg whites

170g granulated sugar

85g water 

1/8 tsp cream tartar

METHOD

Step 1 - Prepare the crust.

In a large bowl (or stand mixer) combine butter and sugar. The butter should be firm, but not too cold. Beat on medium speed until combined. Add honey and egg yolk and mix again. Mix salt and one tsp of water and combine until the salt has dissolved. Add it to the mixture along with lemon zest and beat once more. Sift flour and incorporate it with the rest of the ingredients. As soon as the flour disappeared and all ingredients seem to be combined, cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Step 2 - Prepare the lemon curd.

In a medium heatproof bowl, place eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (bain-marie). Cook on low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture becomes thick (it takes between 10 and 15 minutes). The curd will thicken more once cooled. As soon as the lemon curd becomes thick and shiny yellow, remove from the heat and stir in butter. Whisk until butter is completely melted and incorporated. Cover the top with plastic wrap and let cool down. If you are preparing it in advance, once cooled, place the lemon curd in the fridge. Take it out of the fridge 30 min. before assembling the tart.

Step 3 - Bake the crust

Preheat your oven at 180 C (350 F). Take the dough out of the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough. I am using 24cm tart pan with removable bottom. Grease and flour your tart pan (if needed), then transfer gently your dough making sure to cover nicely all the edges of the tart pan. With a fork make a few wholes in the crust, then lay a sheet of parchment paper over the crust and fill it with raw beans (any kind of beans or chickpeas can work). This will prevent the crust to raise and will give it a nice golden color.  Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. The border should start to get golden. Take the tart out of the oven, remove the beans and parchment paper. Place the tart back to the oven until golden, for another 5-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely before pouring the lemon curd. 

Step 4 - Prepare the Italian Meringue

I recommend preparing the Italian meringue just before serving or just a few hours before, as meringue tastes the best once freshly made.
Place the egg whites and cream of tartar into the mixing bowl. In a medium pot, combine the sugar and water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir the mixture until it begins to simmer, but once it does, stop stirring. If any sugar crystals are visible on the sides of the pot, use a pastry brush dipped in cool water to brush them away. Continue to cook until the mixture reaches  110°C  (230°F)  on a thermometer. When the temperature reaches 110°C, start whipping the egg whites on medium speed—the goal is to get it frothy by the time the sugar syrup reaches 115°C (240°F). When the sugar syrup reaches 115°C (240°F), raise the mixer speed to be high, and gently pour the hot sugar syrup into the mixing bowl. Once all the syrup is incorporated, continue to whip until the meringue holds desired peaks - it will take about 10 minutes for meringue to make stiff peeks. Use immediately to cover your lemon pie. Toast the top of the meringue with a culinary torch, if desired. Serve chilled in small slices. The lemon pie can stay in fridge for up to 3 days. 

NECESSARY OBJECTS
These items may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using this link.

September flew by so quickly, with mixed feelings of summer ending and Fall behind the corner. Even though it feels still like summer in central Italy, Fall has been showing her signs in the early morning breeze, crunchy fallen leaves, and cozy nights. I have been waiting impatiently for the season change. I do love summer, don't take me wrong, but high temperatures are not really my thing. Furthermore, I find Autumn so romantic and cozy - every day is a chance to find beauty in the ordinary - from foliage in our woods, candlelight, a warm sweater on a cold night, or a slow afternoon with a warm cup of coffee and a delicious pie.

With Fall officially arriving last week, I had to celebrate it properly, so last weekend, I baked this delicious Apple Pear Walnut Pie, and we headed to the woods for a picnic. It was nice to take a breath from the mundane and enjoy some peacefulness of nature and a good dessert.

As I wanted to make a pie that tastes like Fall, I combined apples and pears with cinnamon and touch of vanilla, and added chopped walnuts for extra taste and texture. I love walnuts and they go so well with fruit combination in this recipe. 

If you don't have pears at home you can just use apples and walnuts as well, or change walnuts for softened dry raisins. When it comes to fruit, choose firm apples and pears, as overripe fruit can produce too much liquid resulting in a soggy bottom crust. I love using Gala or Green Smith apple variety but firm Golden Delicious can work as well. 

If you love pies as much as I do, then having a go-to pie crust recipe is a must. The crust recipe indicated in this post is what I use for all my pie recipes and have always performed so beautifully. Besides being flakey, buttery and delicious, the dough keeps shape of my decorations and make all my pies beautiful even after baking. 

The ingredients indicated make two layers - one bottom, one top layer and a few decorations such as leaf cut-outs I used to decorate the borders. The single crust is perfect for galettes or single crust pies such as pumpkin pies, chocolate pies and similar. The recipe can be used for savory recipes as well, just omit sugar. 

The dish I am using for this recipe is Emile Henry Pie Dish, with 26 cm diameter (around 20 cm on the bottom) and is 6 cm tall. I find it perfect for making tall pies such as American pie and it bakes to a perfection without greasing the pan or using baking paper.

how to make a Perfect pie crust

Pie recipe is very straightforward and requires 5 ingredients: all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, butter and water. As simple the ingredients are, here are some tips on what to do ( and not to do :)) in order to have a perfectly flakey crust every time you bake.

• Butter should be very cold. Mixing the dough with your hands will warm up the mixture, so we want to make sure that the butter doesn't melt. Cold butter is what makes the pie crust flakey. 

• Water should be cold as well. Start adding water a tablespoon at the time, until the mixture starts to come together. You may not need all the water, and the number of tablespoons can depend on the type of butter and flour as well. 

• Don't knead the dough! You want to mix the ingredients just enough to create a ball from the dough. Kneading the dough like for example bread, will make the dough tough. 

• Roll out the dough on a floured surface and turn it clockwise for each roll. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the surface and will help you roll out evenly.

• Let the dough chill in the fridge for 40 minutes to 1 hour before rolling it out. This will cool the butter again and prevent the dough from breaking apart. 

• Once you filled the pie and decorated it put it back in the fridge for 15 minutes (use egg-wash only before baking). This will allow the top to cool and decorations will keep the shape during the baking. 

• The dough can be kept in the fridge for 2 days, or you can freeze it in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Allow it to come to room temperature when you are ready to roll it out into a pie crust.

APPLE PEAR WALNUT PIE
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8

For the CRUST 

480g all-purpose flour

4 tbsp granulated sugar

pinch of salt 

250g very cold butter

150ml ice-cold water 

FOR THE FILLING

5 big apples (Gala, Green Smith or Golden Delicious)

4 big pears 

80g roughly chopped walnuts

5 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp vanilla paste 

juice from 1/2 lemon

2 tbsp flour 

1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp milk for brushing 

METHOD

Prepare the crust:

In a bowl, mix flour, salt, and sugar. Add cold butter, and using your hands or pastry cutter, incorporate the butter into the mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. Start adding water, a tablespoon at a time, and gently stir with a spatula or wooden spoon. Sometimes you will need less or more water than indicated, depending on the flour and butter used. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps, it's not too sticky and can be formed in a bowl.

Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface, and using floured hands, form a ball. Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into 2cm thick discs using your hands. Put the dough in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 40 minutes to 1 hour. You can prepare the dough even the day before.

Prepare the filling:
Wash, peel, slice apples and pears, and add sugar, flour, lemon juice, vanilla paste, and cinnamon. Set aside.
 

Assemble the pie:
Take out the chilled dough and transfer it to a floured surface. Gently press the dough with your rolling pin, starting from the center, as the dough is very firm. Turn the dough with your hands clockwise at each roll so that dough doesn't stick to the surface. Roll out the dough in a large circle ( 3-5 mm thick), then helping yourself with a rolling pin, transfer the dough to the baking pan. Trim any extra dough and save it for decoration. Place the dish in the refrigerator while rolling out the second disc.
Roll out the second half of the dough, using the same method as before. Here, you can either cover the pie entirely or decorate it with a lattice pattern like I did. In case you are covering the pie completely, make sure to cut several slits in the center.
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 F). Grease and flour the baking pan if needed. 
Take the pie dish out of the fridge and pour the filling. Make sure that the filling is firmly packed and spread evenly. Fold in the edges and press them with your fingers to make a fluted edge. Roll out the second disc of dough to a large rectangular shape. With a knife, create stripes ( I used a mixture of thin and thick stripes and, in total, had 18 lines). Place the dough strips over the filling in a lattice pattern. Seal the edges with some water, and decorate the borders with cut-out leaves. Put the pie in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Beat the egg yolk with 1 tbsp milk. When the pie is chilled, brush it with egg mixture. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius (350 F) or until golden brown and filling is bubbly. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving. This will help the filling set, making it easier to cut the pie. Serve warm or cold with ice cream or whipped cream.

We are just a few days away from summer, and I actually can’t believe it!
It seems that our country is going back to a semi-normal life, and our town is breathing again. We can enjoy an occasional coffee at the local bar, green markets are back during the weekend, and streets are filled with children’s laughter. It is lovely to have some old habits again, even if they still need precautions. You can feel the summer in the air, and warm, sunny days make everything more enjoyable.
Last Sunday, we spent our morning by the lake nearby, and I was so happy that local farmers were back with their delicious, seasonal produce. With peaches being in season again, I decided to prepare this delicious peach berry tart as a refreshing dessert perfect for hot summer days ahead of us.

how to make peach berry tart

Making this summer tart is very easy, both when it comes to baking the crust and preparing the filling.
The recipe is gluten-free, and we are using gluten-free oat flour and almond flour as the basis for the tart. The dough should feel crumbly but, at the same time, sticky and easy to work with. I find that using a ring pan with removable bottom makes everything easier for these types of desserts and will always give excellent results. They are great for both baked and no-bake desserts, and once they have been in the fridge, you can easily remove the ring without ruining the look of your cake. I had mine for a while, but if you are looking for something similar, check this pan here.

The silky lemon filling is obtained by blending coconut milk with cashews, lemon juice, lots of lemon zest, and coconut oil until very smooth. The filling might be a bit runny at first, but it will thicken after a few hours in the fridge. As this recipe is refined sugar-free, I use maple syrup as a sweetener in both the crust and the filling. My all-time favorite is Organic Maple Syrup from Maple Farm. I love adding maple syrup as a sugar substitute, and the robust flavor of this maple syrup gives a beautiful note to my desserts.

For this recipe, you can use any fresh fruit you have, but peaches together with fresh berries make this dessert so refreshing and tasteful. I’ve used peaches, raspberries, and blackberries, but strawberries and blueberries could work as well.

The recipe is really easy to make, and the only hard part is waiting for the dessert to chill. After it has been in the fridge for a few hours and the filling has been set, you can cut fresh fruit, assemble the cake, and serve it immediately. It’s a perfect summer delight, I promise!

Summer Peach Tart with Berries
(vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free)
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8

For the crust  

100g gluten-free oat flour

60g almond flour

40g quick gluten-free oats

5 tbsp coconut oil, melted

2 tbsp maple syrup

1-2 tbsp almond milk, if needed

Pinch of salt

FOR THE cream

½ can full-fat coconut milk (200ml)

110g raw cashews, soaked overnight

Zest of 2 lemons

3 tbsp lemon juice

70ml maple syrup

25g coconut oil

2-3 fresh peaches, sliced

Fresh blackberries

Fresh raspberries

Fresh mint leaves for decoration

METHOD

Preheat your oven at 160 degrees Celsius (320 F). In a medium bowl, combine oat flour, almond flour, quick oats, and a pinch of salt. Mix with a spoon then add maple syrup and coconut oil. Using the top of your fingers, knead the dough until firm. If the dough results too dry, add 1-2 tbsp almond milk. Place the parchment paper in a round pan (22-24cm diameter) with the removable bottom. With fingers, press the dough firmly, making sure you cover the whole pan, including the edges. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Remove from the oven and cool completely before adding the filling.
In a blender, add coconut milk, soaked cashews, lemon juice and zest, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Blend on high speed until it's creamy. Pour over the cooled crust and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. If you forgot to soak your cashews overnight, you can soak them for 2 hours in boiling water. This will speed up the process. Once the cream has firmed, decorate your tart with peach slices, fresh raspberries, blackberries, and mint leaves.

Cinnamon is one of my favorite spices and I use it in my kitchen all the time, especially when baking desserts. It gives so much aroma to my meals, so when the recipe calls for a generous cinnamon sugar layer, I am definitely in! And where there is cinnamon, there are also cinnamon rolls. Soft, fluffy and buttery, who can resist them? 

The first time I tried a cinnamon roll was back in high school. As a senior high school student, I used to live in Ohio for a year, where my host mom would often make cinnamon rolls. I hadn't tried them before that, so imagine how in love I was when taking the first bite of this delicious, fluffy treat. From then on, I could eat cinnamon rolls for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

Ten years later, I find myself in the kitchen, kneading the dough for the most delicious Fall recipe there is. Soft buttery dough, covered with a cinnamony  brown sugar layer, green apple chunks, and a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce to make it more exciting. The house feels like a little bakery and beautiful cinnamon aroma is everywhere. I take a sip of my coffee and patiently wait that they rise, just enough for the baking. 

Making homemade cinnamon rolls is actually pretty easy. This dough has essential ingredients that you all have at home, and all you need to do is follow the recipe and let it rest for some time. I know, resting time can be pretty difficult as all you think is the final result - that gorgeous, fluffy cinnamon roll filled with apples and caramel.

However, as we are using dry, instant yeast for this recipe, the rising process is pretty quick, and you can make these cinnamon rolls the same morning for your breakfast or brunch with friends. Trust me, once you bake them, they will be all gone in 10 minutes!

You can keep your stuffing simple and only go for cinnamon and brown sugar, but I highly recommend to add apple chunks and caramel to it. These ingredients go so well together and are worth a try! You can make your own caramel sauce (I am sharing the recipe in the instructions) or you can use the store-bought version, the choice is yours. I prefer making my own and using it throughout the fall for many recipes.

These soft, cinnamon rolls have made it to the top of our favorite Fall breakfast list, and now is your turn to try them and share this recipe with your family and friends. If you have time, take a picture before they are all gone and tag me on Instagram or use #thehungryapron so I can find you! I would love to see how they turned out!

Let’s be honest, is there a better way than starting your morning with these buttery, fluffy rolls?

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 12

Prep. time: 40 Minutes

Cooking time: 20 Minutes

For the dough

4 tablespoons salted butter

180 ml of milk

60 ml water

390 - 450g all-purpose flour

50g granulated sugar

A pinch of salt

7g dry instant yeast

1 egg, room temperature

FOR THE filling

125g brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

5 tablespoons salted butter, softened

1 large granny smith, cored and finely chopped

5 tbsp caramel sauce (homemade or store-bought)

FOR HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE

Makes 1 small jar

240 g granulated Sugar
115ml water
225ml Heavy Whipping Cream or Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp Salt

METHOD

In a small cooking pan, combine the milk, water, and butter. Heat on low for 1 minute, remove and stir. The butter should be melted and the milk warm. If the mixture is too hot, let it sit for a few minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, add 360g flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add the warm milk mixture and the egg. With a hand or stand mixer, beat on medium-low speed to combine. When the dough starts sticking to the sides of the bowl, start adding the remaining flour, 30g at a time until the dough stops sticking and forms a nice ball. I needed all the 450 grams of flour for my dough. Knead the dough with your hands for another 5 minutes, then cover with the plastic wrap and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare cinnamon brown sugar by whisking together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg until combined.

When the dough has risen nicely (at least doubled in size), put it on a lightly floured work surface, and with a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle (approx. 35 by 25cm).

Using a small spatula, spread the softened butter out evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon brown sugar mixture. Top with apple chunks and drizzle caramel sauce on top. Roll up the dough tightly, cut it into 12 even pieces, and place it in a lightly greased round pan (I used a 28 cm round pan, but you can also use a rectangular one).

Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and allow them to rise in a warm, dark place for 40 minutes or an hour. If you don't have this time, you can also preheat the oven to 100 degrees Celsius, turned it off, and place the rolls to rise there. The warm oven will make them rise in 20 minutes or so.

When the dough has risen, uncover the dish. Bake, the caramel apple cinnamon rolls for 15-18 minutes or until the rolls are golden and cooked through. Remove and let cool on a wire cooling rack for 5 – 10 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining caramel sauce and serve warm.

How to make your homemade caramel sauce

 If you are making homemade caramel, combine water, sugar, and salt into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, continually stirring as this will help the sugar dissolve faster. When the syrup comes to a boil, stop stirring until syrup is honey-colored, about 6-7 minutes. Continue cooking until syrup is light to medium amber, a minute more. Immediately add cream and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir constantly until you get a creamy caramel texture, another 3 minutes or so. Leave to cool before transferring it to a jar. Caramel will be runny while warm, but thicken as it cools. Keep it in the fridge for up to 1 month. 

If you are looking for a weekend dessert that is easy to prepare and tastes divine, this tart is made for you. Flaky, tender pie crust, soft cinnamon plums and a scoop of vanilla ice cream make this plum galette a perfect cozy dessert. 

I love baking pies especially decorating them, but sometimes time is short and you have friends coming over. This recipe is full proof, so easy to make and perfect for those last-minute sweets that look good and taste amazing! 

September arrived faster than I’ve expected (is it only me or this year flew so fast by?!) and I must admit autumn in Italy is beautiful. Hot summer days are over, sunshine is soft and morning breeze calls for warm coffee and soft sweaters. Finally, I can turn on my oven and bake all the desserts I want - lots of pie, soft biscuits and coffee cakes baking happens in this period! 

Those who have followed my blog for some time now know that sweets are my thing. Baking is my relaxing therapy that works every time - it’s my way of releasing stress after a day of work and long to do tasks. And at the end of the day, there is always cake.  

I use a lot of wholewheat, alternative flours in my baking and this plum tart has a spelt-rye flour combination that makes a perfectly rustic, flaky crust. Spelt flour is an ideal substitute for many recipes that call for all-purpose flour. I love adding small portions of rye flour to my biscuits and tarts too, as it gives somewhat moist, earthy flavor that goes so well with fruit in this recipe.  Another ingredient that I love using for my pie crusts and biscuits is brown Muscovado sugar. It’s sandy texture and darker color will make your crust soft and rich in flavor, with a tone of caramel thanks to the natural molasses it contains. 

If you don’t have either spelt nor rye flour at home, just substitute the whole quantity with all-purpose flour, but I strongly recommend you to try baking with alternative flours too. You will love it, I promise!

Plums are combined with unrefined light Muscovado sugar and cinnamon and left to soak all those great flavors and release juices. All you need to do is to cut them into even slices, cover in sugar and cinnamon and leave them aside until you make the crust. 

Preparation time for this galette is much shorter compared to the pies, and you don’t need to worry about the looks. Galettes and tarts are beautifully imperfect and thus much easier to prepare. Make this tart until soft plums are still in season and let me know how it went. 

Plum galette with whole grain crust
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8
Prep. time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 25 minutes 

For the  crust 

250g spelt flour

70g rye flour

2 tbsp rolled oats

2 tbsp unrefined brown sugar (light Muscovado)

150g butter, cold from the fridge

80-100ml ice-cold water

FOR THE filling

10-12 soft plums (choose those that are not too ripe as it will be easier to cut them)

4 tbsp Muscovado sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 egg yolk for brushing + 1 tbsp rolled oats

METHOD

In a bowl, mix spelt, rye flour, rolled oats and sugar. Give it a stir and add chopped butter. Mix with your hands until combined and texture is sandy. Add water, a spoon at the time and knead the dough until you get a nice smooth lump (maybe you will need more or less water, depending on your dough. I usually use 8 tbsp). Put the dough in a plastic wrap and store in the fridge for at least 40 min.
Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Prepare baking sheets and a flat baking pan.
Prepare your filling by washing your plums and slicing them. Place them in a medium bowl, together with sugar and cinnamon. Stir the ingredients, cover and leave aside until the plums release all the juices and soak up sugar and cinnamon.
Sprinkle some flour on your working surface and roll out your dough. Place plum slices in a circle, leaving 2-3 cm space until the edge so you can fold it easily. Fold the edges, brush them with the egg yolk and sprinkle with some rolled oats.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges of your crust are golden. Leave to cool down before serving. You can serve it mild with a spoon of vanilla ice-cream or a splash of vanilla custard. 

Last berries of the season and warm peach-berry pie to accompany August and welcome the new season. September is here, and I want to enjoy it the most. Crispy leaves, last summer days that feel like autumn, warm drinks, and comforting pies. Isn't this season beautiful? 

Summer was very hot this year, but we enjoyed our early morning walks with Woody and weekends in the countryside. Last weekend we were lucky to find berries in the woods, so I collected some, just enough for a good dessert.

I love baking pies, and before falling sweetly into apple season, I wanted to bake my last summer pie, combine the freshness of sweet peaches with the color and sourness of wild berries. For this pie, I went with my simple American pie crust recipe, made without eggs. I use this kind of crust almost always as it has a lighter texture and goes so well with fruit fillings. Berries and peaches go so well together and you will love this pie even warm with some ice cream on top. 

Light pie crust and the explosion of the summer fruit, make this pie irresistible. Style it with a wavy lattice pie top and your guests and family will be amazed.

Perfect summer pie with peaches
and wild berries
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8
Prep. time: 50 minutes 
Baking time: 40 minutes
Pan diameter: 24 cm 

For the crust  

320g all-purpose flour

180g butter, cold from the fridge

1 tbsp fine brown sugar

100 ml of ice-cold water

a pinch of salt

FOR THE filling

4-5 medium peaches, peeled and chopped in cubes

150g mixed wild berries (you can use also frozen ones)

6 tbsp brown sugar

zest of half lemon

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp flour

25g butter

1 egg yolk + milk for brushing

whipped cream or ice cream for serving

METHOD

Prepare the crust:
In a large bowl, mix flour and sugar. Add the chopped butter and mix until combined. Add water, a spoon at the time and knead the dough until you get a smooth dough(maybe you will need more or less water, depending on your dough. I usually use 8 tbsp). Do not overmix. Put the dough in a plastic wrap and store in the fridge for at least 40 min.

Prepare the filling:
Wash, peel and chop the peaches in cubes, add wild berries, sugar, flour, lemon zest, and cinnamon. At the end add melted butter (that you previously cooled down). Mix until combined. 
Assemble the pie:
Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Grease and flour your pan (or use baking paper). Take the dough out and cut it in 2 pieces. Roll out the first half and place it on your baking pan (mine has a diameter of 24 cm).
Fill with fruit filling. Roll out the second half and decorate the pie crust. Either, you can make a lattice top or you, can roll it out and cover the pie completely. If you decide to do a latter one, make sure to make a couple of holes in the center for the filling to seep through. You can also use a cookie cutter and cut your dough in different shapes that you will place on the top of the pie.
Beat the egg yolk with 2 tbsp of milk and brush it over your crust for a nice golden color. Bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes or until golden.Serve with some whipped cream or with a spoon of vanilla ice cream.

You know that feeling when you are looking for cooking inspiration, and you stumble upon that one recipe that you can not stop thinking about?

And you have all the ingredients, but you should be doing something else? So the only thing it remains is to roll up your sleeves, put your apron on and bake it? Well, if you have felt that way at some point, don't worry, you are not alone.

Last weekend we were gifted a basket full of ripe apricots, directly from our friends' garden. The smell of freshly picked apricots filled up the house, and I couldn’t wait to use them. I started eating  one by one, perfectly ripe and naturally sweet. Making marmalade was a must.

On the other hand, they were so tasteful that I also wanted to use them for a dessert. I wanted to prepare something that screams summer - filled with apricots and possibly includes ice cream. I started flipping pages of magazines and cooking books, searching on Pinterest and looking for that one recipe I had in mind. Pies, tarts, cakes, and CLAFOUTIS.

A Clafoutis is a rustic French baked dessert, usually baked with cherries but can also include many other variations such as plums, apricots, blueberries, and apples. It’s a sweet batter (a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar, and flour), topped with fruit and baked. Very soft in texture, Clafoutis can be served warm topped with some ice cream or whipping cream.

Well, I must confess it was the first time I have ever made a Clafoutis. I had all the ingredients at home, and I had to try it immediately. The batter was ready in a couple of minutes, and before I knew it, the fantastic scent started spreading from the oven. After 40 minutes, Clafoutis was ready. It looked amazing and the aroma of baked apricots, vanilla, and cinnamon filled out the room.

Served warm and topped with some quality vanilla ice-cream, our Clafoutis tasted heavenly. So soft and rich in taste, yet light and perfect for summer days. I really love how it turned out. Now, it’s your turn to try.

French Clafoutis with apricots
and vanilla ice cream
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8
Prep.time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 35-45 minutes 

120ml low fat milk

70g brown sugar

50g all purpose flour

3 medium eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

pinch of salt

8 fresh apricots, washed and sliced in half

powdered sugar for dusting

vanilla ice-cream for serving

METHOD

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius. In a medium bowl combine milk, brown sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the mixture until blended and foamy, about 5 minutes. The consistency of your batter will be very runny,just like for crepes. Don't worry, it's supposed to be like that.
Grease and flour your baking pan. Pour enough batter into the prepared dish to form a layer about 1 cm deep. Bake 2-3 minutes, then remove from oven. Place apricot slices in a circle over the batter. Pour remaining mixture over the apricots. Bake until golden brown and center is just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm with vanilla ice-cream. Enjoy!

Notes: Clafoutis is better when served warm but you can store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.