This pie is bursting with fall flavor!  Perfect for Thanksgiving or any fall gathering party!  I have a weakness for pies and nothing beats homemade!  The sweetness of the pears and tartness of the cranberries balance each other very well.  If making pies are a bit intimidating to you, this one is perfect for beginners because it’s very straight forward, no need to make the edges perfect.  It all comes together very nicely.  Let me show you how!

Recipe

1 recipe Buttery Pie Pastry (see below)

5 large pears, peeled, cored and sliced

1  1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

3/4 cup organic sugar

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 egg (for egg wash)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Roll one of the dough halves out onto a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch round and 1/2-inch thick disc.  Place dough into the pie plate, cut off the edges with a knife right up against the edge of the pie plate and refrigerate.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the other dough half to a 10-inch disc.

In a medium bowl mix together the sugar and cornstarch first. Add the pear slices, cranberries (fresh and dried), lemon zest and ginger.

Place the cranberry-pear mixture into the pie shell that was placed in the fridge.

 

Place the second rolled out pie disc on top of the fruit mixture and finish cutting any excess dough off the top crust.

 

Crimp the the edges together with a fork and cut venting slits into the pie at the top.  Crack one egg, mix with 1 tablespoon water and brush all over the top of the pie.  Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake another 45 minutes.  (As a precautionary, you may want to place a cookie sheet pan on the rack below the pie in case any juices bubble out and burn the bottom of the oven).  Let the pie cool completely and serve with whip cream or vanilla ice cream.