Norwegian apple pie

In July, I went to Norway for the first time. I was only there a matter of hours, on my way through to Stockholm, and all I remember eating was a burrito. Food was the last thing on my mind really as the priority was getting to Vigeland Sculpture Park. Showcasing the life work of artist Gustav Vigeland, the park sits just outside downtown Oslo and features over 200 sculptures of human figures in bronze, granite and cast-iron. It's a celebration of human life at every stage - from infancy to old age and everything in between.

It's a nice thing to remember as I eat this pie, which is really, much more of a cake. November has been tumultuous for me for many reasons and notably, is not over yet. Over the other side of the world, Americans are gathering for Thanksgiving. Today, an ordinary old Thursday in my Australian apartment so far from Scandinavia, I'm giving thanks for memories, for the crazy complexity of the human experience, and for this pie, which is simple and sweet and made for sharing.

Norwegian apple pie
Adapted from a recipe by Anneka Manning

This will keep well for a few days if stored in an air-tight container. 

110 g (¾ cup) plain flour

1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
110 g (½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
3 medium (about 150 g each) apples, peeled, cored and cut into 2cm pieces
80 g slivered almonds, toasted
80 g butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
1½ tsp natural vanilla essence or extract
vanilla ice-cream or thick cream, to serve

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 20 cm springform tin and line the base.  

 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and cardamom into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar, apple and almonds. Use a fork to whisk together the butter, egg, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture and use a spatula to mix until just combined. 

 

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread evenly with the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

 

Stand the pie in the tin for 5–10 minutes before removing the sides of the tin. Serve warm in scoops or wedges or at room temperature with ice-cream or cream.