Claudia, thank you! I’m thrilled you enjoyed it and thanks so much for the comment and review! I think this pie is definitely one of my favorite ways to enjoy cranberries this time of year and it’s so easy, too.

Kate, thank you SO much for your feedback and rating, I really appreciate it! And thanks for sharing all those great tips with us! I love the idea of the almond extract. I’ll definitely have to add that to it next time I make it.

I’ve made it 5 times now, in different people’s kitchens, with different variations and pan sizes, at times probably stretching the original beyond recognition. In all versions I used more fruit than the recipe calls for. So far, I can report that the recipe works just fine with all whole wheat flour and when increased up to 50% (in a 10″ iron skillet). (But when I doubled it, using a 11-3/4″ iron skillet, the result was still good, but despite having dusted the fruit with flour and cornstarch, there was still a tendency for the fruit to settle at the bottom.)

The most successful additions have been sliced almonds and almond extract. Pecans were tasty, but not as good with cranberries as the almonds. I am not always keen on the scent of coconut in baked goods, but when I substituted coconut oil for the vegetable oil here, I found the result quite pleasant (maybe offset by the almond extract.). A coarsely chopped apple also went well with the cranberries.

The least successful additions have been mandarin orange segments, which were okay with the cranberries but lacked the sparkle they have when raw. Orange zest is a better choice. And adding baking powder to the batter did not seem to lift the fruit, but created more of a cake layer on top (but both I and my sister live at high altitudes which could have affected the result).

When in my own kitchen, I tend to try to increase fiber and protein, and reduce carbs, by substituting almond flour or oat bran for up to a quarter of the flour, by adding small amounts of whey and collagen powder to the dry ingredients, and by using stevia or erythritol for part of the sugar. I don’t detect any difference in the result, but maybe some people would.

I also plan on trying this with grapes and/or cherries, but to avoid sinking fruit, I plan to try adding the dusted grapes to the batter before pouring into the pan.

Thank you, Lynne, for inspiring this ongoing culinary adventure!