Pear Apple Pie

With each passing year I find myself getting more and more excited for Thanksgiving. My secret Thanksgiving Pinterest board is filling up with recipe ideas and I’ve spent the better half of this past weekend baking rolls and making the cranberry sauce, both of which are resting comfortably in the freezer until the big day. However, one thing you will not see on our Thanksgiving table is pie.

Because my Uncle Randy was king when it came to homemade pies for Thanksgiving, after he passed away we decided to honor his memory by leaving it off the menu. Try as we might, no pie we bake can compare so we’ll be having some other yet-to-be-decided dessert.

But that hasn’t stopped me from trying to replicate his pie-mastery. I made this pear apple pie with pears from the last farmer’s market of the year. They were still a little firm when I baked them up which I think helps them cook at the same rate as the apples. I also macerated the fruit in sugar to help draw the water out before I assembled the pie.

Even though I took the extra measure of drawing out excess water, I still made the mistake of cutting into the pie before it had completely cooled (because warm pie, of course). It’s so important to let fruit pies come to room temperature before cutting into them, lest you want a pie pan full of sugar water at the bottom. Hide the pie and leave the house if you have to, just promise me you’ll let it cool, ok?

I hope you have some amazing eats planned for your Thanksgiving table. I want to hear about them in the comments below! And if you’re still looking for a dessert to make, give this pie a go. The pears add a unique sweetness and warm cloves add just the right amount of spice.

Pear Apple Pie

For the Crust

• 2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 1 Stick Unsalted Butter, cubed and placed in the freezer for 10-20 minutes
• 3/4 Cup Shortening
• 1/2 cup Ice Water

For the Filling

• 3 Medium Pears (I used pears that were still a little on the firmer side)
• 3 Medium Apples (I used honeycrisp here, but any firm, tart variety like cortland, empire, or granny smith would work)
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1/2 Cup Sugar, divided
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
• 1/4 Tsp Cloves
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1 Egg
• Turbinado Sugar (Optional)

For the Crust

Get started on the crust by mixing the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and shortening and using a pastry cutter or fork work the fat into the flour until crumbly. Butter and shortening should be about pea-sized. Fill a glass with half a cup of water and ice to it. Slowly drizzle the water in about a tablespoon at a time stirring until just combined. Add enough water to barely bring everything together. The dough might still feel a little dry and that’s ok. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to bring the dough together into a ball. Divide the dough in two and wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and place in the fridge and allow to cool for at least an hour or up to 3 days. The dough can also be placed in a freezer bag and frozen for 3 months.

For the Filling

Peel and dice the apples and pears and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the sugar over the fruit and add the juice from the lemon and toss to combine. Let the fruit rest covered for half an hour at room temperature. Drain the juice from the bowl and add the rest of the sugar, spices, and flour and toss to combine.

Preheat the oven to 400. Whisk the egg and brush over the top of the pie and top with turbinado sugar, if using. Place the pie in the oven for 20 minutes then turn the heat down to 375 with the pie in the oven and continue to cook for 35-40 minutes. If the crust starts to get too brown, cover with tinfoil and continue to bake.

Allow to cool for at least an hour before slicing in and enjoying!