Croatian Cherry Pie
12 servings
90 minutes
Croatian cherry pie is a tender and aromatic dessert that captivates with the combination of crispy filo dough and juicy cherry filling. This recipe, rooted in European cuisine, resembles traditional Balkan sweets soaked in syrup and rich in fruity flavor. The light tartness of the cherries harmoniously complements the sweetness of caramelized sugar and the softness of semolina cream, creating a perfect balance of textures. The pie is ideal for cozy family tea gatherings or festive occasions, and its rich flavor unfolds even more after cooling. Drizzling the hot dessert with lemon syrup gives you a delightful treat with refreshing citrus notes. It is a true gastronomic pleasure that allows you to enjoy the depth of flavor and traditional European culinary craftsmanship.
1
We make two rolls, so we need a fairly high and not wide mold for the pie to be thick. The length is the width of the phyllo dough sheet and the width is about 25-30 cm. We grease the mold with butter.
- Butter: 100 g
2
We mix semolina and baking powder. We melt the butter.
- Semolina: 3 tablespoons
- Baking powder: 15 g
- Butter: 100 g
3
Using a mixer, beat the eggs and sugar (400 g) well, but not to a white color. Gradually add vegetable oil, then sour cream. Next, add semolina and mix well to avoid lumps.
- Chicken egg: 4 pieces
- Sugar: 580 g
- Vegetable oil: 400 ml
- Sour cream 20%: 200 g
- Semolina: 3 tablespoons
4
Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough, take 3 tablespoons of this mixture (eggs-sugar-semolina-butter-sour cream), and spread it evenly over the dough.
- Filo dough: 500 g
5
We place 4 more sheets on top in turn, and also spread each with this 'cream'. Now we place half a sheet of dough on one half, without greasing it, and lay half of the unthawed cherries along the future roll on top. We roll the roll, trying to prevent the cherries from spilling out (but they will). We place it in the mold, holding the ends of the roll tightly and preventing the cherries from spilling out again.
- Filo dough: 500 g
- Frozen cherries: 1 kg
6
We make another similar roll from the remaining ingredients. You can make 5 or 6 layers depending on the amount of dough in the package. The leftover cherries should be stuffed into the ends of the rolls.
- Frozen cherries: 1 kg
7
We cut the rolls with a very sharp knife into slices about 5 cm, some filling will spill into the mold, that's ok.
8
Pour melted butter on top and place in the oven at 180 degrees for 45-50 minutes until golden brown.
- Butter: 100 g
9
While baking, we make the syrup: cut the lemon in half, place it in 300 ml of water with 180 g of sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce the syrup by half. Pour the hot syrup over the hot pie, let it cool, and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
- Lemon: 1 piece
- Sugar: 580 g