Fresh Pear and Cranberry Pie

Found this on MSN.com. It's something I want to try soon! There are directions for a pie crust, but i'm sure you could use your own favorite recipe or a premade one.

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Yields: 1 pie

Ingredients

• 1  pastry for single-crust pie
• 8  cups  sliced  red pears (7 to 8 pears, 3 to 3-1/2 lb. total) or 8  cups  green ripe pears (7 to 8 pears, 3 to 3-1/2 lb. total)
• 1  cup fresh cranberries
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 3  tablespoons cornstarch
• 2  tablespoons apple cider or 2  tablespoons water
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 2  tablespoons  caramel ice cream topping, plus additional for drizzling

Directions

1. Prepare and roll out Pastry for Single-Crust Pie (below). Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Arrange half of pears in prepared pastry; sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cranberries. Arrange remaining pears atop cranberries. In bowl stir together 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, cider, and nutmeg; drizzle evenly over pears. Cover pie with foil.
3. Bake 40 minutes. Remove foil; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake, uncovered, 30 to 35 minutes more or until pears are tender and juices are bubbly. Remove from oven and place on wire rack.
4. Meanwhile, in small saucepan combine remaining cranberries and 2 tablespoons caramel topping. Bring to boiling. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Spoon over hot pie.
5. Serve warm. Drizzle with additional caramel topping. Make 8 servings.
6. Pastry for a Single-Crust Pie: In bowl stir together 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender cut in 1/2 cup shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of the bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time (4 to 5 tablespoons total), until flour mixture is moistened. Form dough into ball. On floured surface flatten with hands. Roll dough from center to edges into a 13-inch circle. To transfer pastry, wrap around rolling pin. Unroll pastry into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Ease pastry into plate without stretching it. Trim pastry to 1 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry.