Cranberry-Pear Crisp Pie
This pie is made every year by my sister-in-law, who happens to be a fabulous cook I know she got this recipe from somewhere else, but I dont know where. However, it's so good, I want to make sure to capture it properly especially so that I dont have to keep track of the paper copy.
This pie is made every year by my sister-in-law, who happens to be a fabulous cook I know she got this recipe from somewhere else, but I dont know where. However, it's so good, I want to make sure to capture it properly especially so that I dont have to keep track of the paper copy.
- Carbohydrate 59.0650272565169 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 9.30078125577211 g
- Fiber 4.20869677013159 g
- Protein 2.09942343751144 g
- Saturated Fat 2.90826615733627 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (171g)
- Sodium 134.85981256744 mg
- Sugar 54.8563304863853 g
- Trans Fat 0.751365281417493 g
- Calories 319 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cook the cranberries in 1/3 cup of water for 15 minutes (or until skins pop). Add the sugar (1 cup) and cook until the sugar dissolves. Combine the pears, cranberry mixture, and orange zest. Fill the unbaked pie crust with the mixture.
- Combine the flour, the sugar (1/3 cup), and cinnamon. Cut in margarine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the pie, covering the edge with foil.
- Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove the foil from the edges and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Managing Excess Fruit Moisture
Many bakers trap excess liquid in the pie by adding raw fruit directly to the crust without a preliminary cook. Cooking fresh or frozen cranberries in water for fifteen minutes until the skins pop breaks down their cellular walls and releases pectin. Dissolving sugar into this hot mixture thickens the liquid before it ever touches the unbaked pastry shell. Peeling and thinly slicing three cups of pears allows them to absorb this tart cranberry syrup evenly during assembly.
Achieving Structural Contrast
Dense, soggy toppings ruin fruit crisps by failing to insulate the steaming juices below. Cutting cold margarine into flour, sugar, and cinnamon until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs creates pockets of fat that melt slowly in a 375 degrees F oven. This specific mechanical action produces a crumbly texture that contrasts against the tender fruit. Covering the crust edge with foil for the first twenty-five minutes prevents the pastry from burning before the filling reaches a boil.
Baking and Setting the Filling
Removing the foil protection after twenty-five minutes permits the crumb topping to brown fully during the final twenty-five to thirty minutes of baking. Visual cues dictate doneness more than the timer alone; look for bubbling juices around the perimeter and a deep golden hue on the flour-and-sugar crust. Allowing the pie to cool completely on a wire rack permits the starches to set fully, making slicing cleaner and preventing the warm filling from running.
