Do a quick search on the internet and you’ll find plenty of recipes for Nantucket Christmas Cranberry Pie. It’s everywhere — but versions differ, some with a little more almond extract, some with a dusting of sugar, some with melted butter instead of softened. But the common denominator with all of them is that it’s a dessert that’s really more cake than it is pie and that it’s an awfully tasty one. Easy to make and even easier to enjoy, it’s sure to be a holiday classic in your house.

You only need a few ingredients to make it and the great news is that it’s a “pie” where you don’t have to worry about pie crust whatsoever.

First, you’re going to mix your cranberries with granulated sugar and pecans. Easy, right? Fresh or frozen cranberries work fine here.

Then you’re basically going to mix up a cake batter. Butter, eggs, sugar, flour, salt, and some almond extract.

The cranberry mixture goes into the pie plate and then the batter goes right on top.

And then it bakes for, oh, say forty minutes and the batter surrounds the cranberries and emerges as one cohesive ooey-gooey pie-cake.

It’s a homey and unassuming dessert, but those are usually my favorite kind! As they say — simple is best — and this certainly proves it.