For the filling

Chop the apple into tiny pieces or grate it, and juice one orange. Mix all ingredients for the filling and simmer them until the mixture is soft and gooey. I did this in the microwave and it took me about 5-6 minutes on medium power. I took the mixture out of the microwave twice to stir it and mash it a bit.

For the crust

Soak the dates in the water until they are soft, and mash them. If you want to speed up the process, use warm water. Add the cinnamon and the flour to the date and water puree, and knead the mixture. You can use a food processor, but I did it by hand and it took me just a couple of minutes.

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

Prepare a muffin tray or some small tart tins, and cover them with small pieces of baking paper. The crust is not sticky, but it’s easier to take out the pies this way.

Spread the dough on a sheet of baking paper and cut circles that are a little bit bigger than the circles on your muffin tray. I used a glass, because I don’t have a circular cookie cutter. Also, cut the same number of stars or any other shape you like, to put on top of the pies.

Put the circles of dough into the muffin tray and push them down a bit. Add the filling, and put a star of dough on top.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, but keep an eye on the pies, because if your crust is too thin and you overbake it, it can get really hard.