Grated Apple Pie

Place the flour, powdered sugar, and baking powder in a food processor, then add the softened butter cut into cubes.

Pulse in the food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This time I made the dough in a food processor, but it works just as well by hand — simply rub the flour and butter together with your fingertips, or chop them together on a cutting board with a knife.

Add the egg yolk and sour cream, then pulse again. Gather the dough together with your hands and shape it into a ball. Do not knead the dough — work it as little as possible, just enough to bring it together into a ball.

Divide the dough into two portions: two-thirds and one-third. Press the larger portion into your baking pan (mine is 25 x 25 cm), spread it into an even layer, and prick it all over with a fork. Place the pan with the dough and the remaining dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer.

Prepare the filling. Peel the apples, cut them in half, and remove the cores. Slice each half into thin slices no more than 2–3 mm thick; you can use a mandoline or the slicing attachment on a food processor. Add the sugar to the apples and gently mix. Any variety of apples works perfectly here — I used Golden Delicious, which are sweet-tart. If your apples are on the sweeter side, it's best to reduce the amount of sugar in the filling.

Place the pan with the dough into an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) and bake for about 10–15 minutes.

Sprinkle the crust with the breadcrumbs (you can also use dry plain cookies like Maria biscuits or dried white bread). This layer absorbs the juice from the apples and keeps the bottom crust from getting soggy.

Dust half of the cinnamon over the top through a fine-mesh sieve.

Arrange the apple slices on top, shifting them around so they lie snugly with no gaps, then press down firmly to compact them slightly.

Dust the remaining cinnamon over the top through a fine-mesh sieve. Then grate the reserved dough over the filling using the large holes of a box grater.

Place in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) and bake for about 40–60 minutes, or until the dough is lightly golden and the apples are completely tender. Baking time also depends on how soft you want the filling — I baked mine for 60 minutes and the filling came out very tender, almost like a cream. Let the finished pie cool completely.

You can dust the top with powdered sugar before serving. This grated apple pie has a truly wonderful flavor and aroma, and it's really not that hard to make!