Looking to make a Christmas dessert that's not cookies? Try this recipe for a beautiful pear & cranberry pie!
It's the holiday season, and while I do believe that any dessert goes, I tend to think it's more cookie season than any other kind of dessert around Christmas. But, ya know, I figure there are people who have ham for Christmas, or turkey (again) - even those who have fish (Italians, I think have the feast of fish? Is that right?) - and of course sandwiches. Am I missing anything? I think those are the usual Christmas feast spreads? So I ought to branch out a bit with my holiday desserts as well.
Typically, I am not a pie person. If I had to choose between cake, cookies, or pie...pie would definitely not be my first choice. Ever. Unless, of course, the cake and cookies were nutty and full of raisins. I don't like nuts or raisins in my dessert. However, some people (like my husband) absolutely adore pie and would choose a slice of pie over all of the above any day of the week (Editor's Note: Correct). I guess what I'm saying is, even though Thanksgiving is over and we've moved on from pies...some people never really move on from pie. Some people always just want a slice of pie.
Well, then, by golly, I am here to share some pie with you. This Pear & Cranberry Pie is just delightful and I truly mean that even if I am not a pie person. Pear and cranberries are not a combination I see very often. In fact, I only have one other recipe on the blog that features pears and cranberries together and that's this Pear & Cranberry Crisp (which is also delightful).
It's sweet and tart. The fruit doesn't break down into mush in the pie filling, but holds its texture well. Also, it is just a gorgeous pie! I know pies are the highlight of the post-Thanksgiving feast (feast), but this pie (to me) says "Christmas Day!" with its sparkly pastry crust and delightful ruby-colored cranberries.
I've also got to admit, I usually only ever make The Pioneer Woman's pie crust. It's been my go-to for years. But on a whim, I tried this crust and I'm in love! I may actually think it's better (gasp!). It didn't fall apart on me nor was it too hard to handle. It had a wonderful flavor to it as well. And just to really give it a fair shake, I also tested it by making a pot pie and I was blown away by it. Seriously - it's a good one, so I'm going to include the recipe for it below. However, if you have a beloved recipe that is your "go-to", do what you love and move along.
Want to dress the pie up even more? While the pie is baking, prepare some sugared cranberries for the top of the pie. Not only are they gorgeous, but also really yummy to snack on!
Also...I'm going to add this one last thought. Okay, I lied...two thoughts.
- This pie, for breakfast the next morning. With coffee? I'll just leave that thought there.
- Pie for Thanksgiving. Pie for Christmas? Pie for New Year's Eve??? Maybe that should be a thing, too?
📖 Recipe
Pear & Cranberry Pie
Looking to make a Christmas dessert that's not cookies? Try this recipe for a beautiful pear & cranberry pie!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 6 ripe, yet still firm, pears, cored & sliced (2-21/2 lbs total)
- 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
- 1 tablespoon milk
- Coarse sugar, for sprinkling
- Sugared cranberries, for an optional garnish
Pastry for Double-Crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup shortening
- ¼ cup cubed butter (cold)
- Ice water
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. In an extra- large bowl, combine granulated sugar, flour, nutmeg, ginger. Add pear slices and cranberries; tossing gently to coat.
- Prepare pastry for pie crust - In a large bowl stir together the 2 ½ cups flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in ½ cup shortening and butter until pieces are pea-sized. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon ice water over part of the flour mixture, toss gently with a fork. Push moistened dough to one side of bowl. Repeat with additional ice water, 1 TBSP. at a time (½ cup-⅓ cup total), until all the flour mixture is moistened. Gather mixture into a ball, kneading gently until it holds together. Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten one pastry ball. Roll it from center to edges into a circle, 13 inches in diameter. Fold the pastry into quarters. Unfold pastry into 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Ease pastry into plate without stretching it. Transfer pear mixture to the pastry-lined pie plate. Trim pastry even with pie plate rim.
- Roll remaining ball into a 12-inch diameter circle. Using small cookie cutters, cut a few small shapes from the center of the pastry circle on filling; trim ½ inch beyond edge of plate.Fold top pastry under bottom bottom pastry, crimping edges to your liking. Brush top of pastry with and dough cutouts with milk. Place cutouts on pastry, being careful not to cover openings. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Place pie plate on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 65-70 minutes or until filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Serve warm. Garnish with sugared cranberries and whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Recipe Source: Magnolia Journal 2016
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 301Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 272mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 4g
Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
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