The only thing better than the smell and taste of a freshly baked apple pie is an apple pie with pears in it! The pears add juice and texture to the pie. While nothing can replace the prominence of chocolatey things as a dessert staple in my house, this pie has definitely become a family favorite. It is definitely worth the extra effort.
Use your favorite recipe for pie crust for a 9-inch pie. If you don’t have one, I suggest my favorite pie crust recipe.
For the filling you will need:
1/2 lemon
3 pounds baking apples, such as Golden Delicious, Cortland, or Mutsu (about 6 apples)
1 1/2 pounds baking pears, such as Bosc or firm Bartletts (about 3 pears)
2/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on the pie
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, beaten
Directions:
Make the crust first. The crust can be frozen for up to two months ahead of time. Defrost it in the refrigerator over night.
On to the filling: Finely grate the lemon zest and set aside. Peel, core and then slice both the apple and pear into 1/2-inch slices. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fruit, then toss fruit with the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and nutmeg.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fruit and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves and juices simmer, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until the fruit softens and the juices evaporate some, about 10 minutes. Evenly mix the flour into the fruit; then cook about a minute more to thicken the juices slightly. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest; and remove from the heat. (The filling should resemble a tight compote.) Cool completely.
Form the pie: Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Roll a disk of dough into an 11 to 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to 9-inch glass pie pan, trimming so it hangs about 1/2-inch over the edge of the pan. Fill the crust with the prepared fruit so it mounds slightly in the center. Roll the remaining dough into a 12-inch circle. (Note: At this point if you wanted, you could freeze the pie and bake it later.) Brush the rim of the crust with some of the egg. Roll the remaining dough (or as our family refers to it, the “top dough”) onto the rolling pin and unroll it over the fruit so it hangs over the edge of the pie pan by about 1/2-inch. Trim crust if needed, reserving the scraps for decorations or for patching, if needed. Fold the top crust edge under the bottom one, then press the edges together to seal. Cut trimmed scraps into designs if desired and set aside. Flute the crust by pressing a finger into the crust against the other hand’s index finger and thumb to make an even impression. Repeat every 1/2 inch around the pie to create a ruffled edge. Refrigerate the pie for at least 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, place a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 425 degrees.
Brush pie with egg and place cut dough designs on top if desired. Brush again and sprinkle with sugar. Cut 6 to 8 small steam vents into the top of the dough. Place pie on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake until the crust is golden brown, approximately 50 minutes more. When the pie is finished, cool slightly on a rack. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
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