Let’s just start by saying that, when it comes to making pies, I am far from a perfectionist. So go ahead and shake your head at my uneven crust edges and the oozing stickiness pooling at the edges of the pie plate, I don’t care! To me, the only real measure of pie-baking success is whether or not it tastes so good that people are practically licking their plates to get every last drop of goodness. And while we’re being rebellious, I’m just gonna say it: I think it’s totally fine to use store-bought pie crust. Maybe it’s because I’m more of a fillings than crust fan, but I like the consistency of knowing exactly what I’m going to get from a boxed pie crust (and yeah, I still think that making homemade pastry crust is hard, no matter how many times Martha Stewart disagrees!) So, now that we’ve got that out of the way… let’s talk about this apple, pear & cranberry pie with walnut streusel. Since I was feeling particularly autumnal this weekend, I decided to kickoff my Thanksgiving recipe planning with a pie that combines all my favorite fall flavors in one perfect bite. The streusel crust serves a double purpose: it covers up any imperfections that my pie crust will undoubtedly have, and it ends up making this a sort of hybrid between a pie and a crumble. Heaven! Keep reading for the recipe, and let me know what other pies you guys are most excited about seeing on the Thanksgiving table this year! The countdown has begun…
Apple, Pear & Cranberry Pie with Walnut Streusel
*serves 8
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1 teaspoon for dusting cranberries
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup frozen cranberries
- 3 medium apples, peeled and thinly sliced (I used granny smith)
- 3 medium pears, peeled and thinly sliced (I used bartletts)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 pie crust dough, homemade or store-bought (thawed if frozen)
for streusel topping:
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, butter, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Stir to combine. Lightly toss the cranberries with a teaspoon of flour just to coat, then add to bowl with apples, pears and cornstarch. Gently toss to combine everything.
2. Roll out dough to just under 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim excess, leaving a 1-inch overhang, then fold under so that the dough goes just to the edge of the pie plate. Fill dough with apple-pear mixture.
3. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in walnuts then sprinkle evenly over the filling. Bake at 375 degrees for an hour, until apples are tender. Remove from oven and let sit 15 minutes before serving. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream takes it over the top.
This sounds and looks amazing!
I love fall desserts.
xo Quinn
Quinn Cooper Style
Yummmy! This makes me want to stay home from work today and bake a pie! You always have the best recipes 🙂
oh my gosh, what a brilliant twist on the classic apple pie.
so perfect for fall!
Thank you for you honesty regarding the pie crust. Hooray for delicious fillings, uneven pie crusts and begging for seconds! 🙂
Could not agree more! All my attempts at homemade pie crust have fallen flat. Thank god for store bought.
My latest cooking adventure:
http://districtandmore.wordpress.com/2013/10/28/cacio-e-pepe/
Agreed, agreed, agreed! Why not save the time & just go with store bought crusts when you know they’re incredibly tasty anyhow! Plus, like Camille said – it’s more about the fillings than the crust anyhow. 🙂
I can make croissants. I can make towering layer cakes. But in spite of dozens of attempts and many tricks offered by pastry queens everywhere, I’ve never created a pie crust worth celebrating…..or eating. Here’s to crumbles and crisps and delicious fillings that makes you forget the crust, and this one looks delicious!
Your pie crust looks just like your grandmother’s. I bet it’s delicious!!!!!
Holy smokes this looks amazing! I’m always a fan of the bourbon pecan pie and tradtional apple, but I might just have to branch out this year and give this one a try. Looks absolutely delicious – thanks for sharing (and for giving us the ‘ok’ on store bought pie crust – mine have never been perfect either!).
XOXO,
Lauren
http://www.elliehickey.com
This pie looks incredible! Love it!
I’m with you, Camille! The only thing that matters is how good is tastes. 🙂 And you know something else? It’s comforting to see how it can not always turn out perfect even for the more talented in cooking than me. 🙂
Ada
When do you put in the cranberries? picture looks like it went in just before streusel topping?
i put them in with the apples and pears and used a double crust. can’t wait to taste it!
Pat
Yes, just add with the apples and pears, and you’ll be fine… the key is not mixing them TOO much so their color doesn’t bleed all over the other fruit.
Made something similar to this a few years ago & now I am really excited to find this recipe. Can’t wait to try it out
I just found your blog today – it’s simply gorgeous, and you are beautiful! This pie looks delish! On the topic of pie crusts, I’ve only made one homemade once and it was a failure. So haven’t tried again (I use store bought) because I can’t stand risking a great filling to a yucky crust. But one I’m going to try next is the one everyone’s talking about – the one by Cooks Illustrated that uses vodka instead of water. They say it’s foolproof and amazing, so I’m tempted. You should look it up and do a post on your results! If you can’t find it on their site (you have to be a member sometimes), if you google it there are quite a few that have tried it, and have the ingredients/process listed. Would love to hear your thoughts and your take on it. 🙂 Well, again, so glad to have to found your blog! (I love that you’re a Chef, and also that you have guest chefs on as well. Simply awesome!) 🙂
~LaLonne