Pear-Cranberry Pie With Crumb Topping

Scrumptious. From Food and Wine, '99. Use your own favorite pie dough or store bought.

• Ready In: 1 hr 50 mins
• Yields: 1 pie

Ingredients

• 1  flaky  pie dough
• 1  large egg, beaten with
• 1  tablespoon milk or 1  tablespoon  cream

• TOPPING

• 1  cup all-purpose flour
• 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar
• 1⁄3 cup  packed light brown sugar
• 12  gingersnaps, crushed
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ginger
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

• FILLING

• 2  lbs  ripe Anjou pears (about 5, peeled, halved, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick)
• 1 1⁄2 cups fresh cranberries
• 2  tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1  teaspoon  finely grated lemon zest
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 2  tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the Flaky Pie Dough to a 12-inch round and fit it into a 9-inch deep dish glass pie plate. (you can use regular but might have trouble fitting the filling) Trim the overhang to 1 inch, fold it under and crimp decoratively. Brush the rim with the egg wash and refrigerate the pie shell until chilled.
2. MAKE THE TOPPING: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, gingersnap crumbs, ginger and salt. Stir in the melted butter until large crumbs form.
3. MAKE THE FILLING: Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, toss the pears with the cranberries, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. In a small bowl, toss the sugar with the cornstarch, then stir the sugar into the fruit.
4. Pour the fruit into the chilled pie shell. Pour the gingersnap crumbs onto the pie, carefully spreading them to the edge to cover the filling completely. Set the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling; cover the pie loosely with foil if the top is browning too quickly. Let cool before slicing.