Ginger Pear-Cranberry Streusel Pie

Ginger Pear-Cranberry Streusel Pie

Yield: 1 9” Pie                    # of Servings: 8 to 10         Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients:

1 recipe Pate Brisée, or store bought 9″ pie shell

Pears
3 lb (1.4 kg) pears, Bartlett of Bosc, ripe but firm
2 tbl (.9 oz / 26 g) sugar

Streusel Topping 
¾ cup (3.75 oz / 106 g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (1.75 oz / 50 g) light brown sugar
2 tbl (.9 oz / 26 g) granulated sugar
2 tbl crystallized ginger, chopped
¼ tsp ground ginger

5 tbl (2.5 oz / 71 g) butter, melted

Cranberries:
2 cups (8 oz / 227 g) fresh cranberries
¼ cup (1.75 oz / 50 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger¹ 

Serve with:
Vanilla Ice Cream or
Crème Fraiche

Special tools and equipment needed:

• 9” pie plate
• Half sheet pan or large cookie sheet
• Melon baller, optional

Pre-recipe preparations:

• Remove pastry dough (Pâte Brisée) from the refrigerator 15 to 20 minutes prior to making the galette. The dough should be cold, but malleable.

Directions

Pie Shell:

1. Roll out the Pâte Brisée into a 12” to 13” circle. Roll dough around the rolling pin and drape onto pie dish. Carefully push the bottom, without stretching the dough, into the corners of the pan. Using kitchen scissors, trim the pastry, leaving a ½” extra pastry dough border on top.
2. Crimp into a decorative border and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This may be well-wrapped in plastic and frozen after the 2-hour rest.
3. Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
4. Place a parchment paper circle or aluminum foil sprayed with pan release against the pastry and fill with dried beans.
5. Bake at 375°F for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the dough is just set. The bottom will still be slightly raw.
6. Remove the beans and the parchment circle and continue baking until the bottom dough is cooked and just begins to color a light brown, about 10 minutes.
7. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature. 

Pears:

1. Peel, core, quarter, and slice the pears into ¼” slices.
2. Toss the pears with the sugar in a microwave safe casserole dish or bowl. Cover and microwave for between 6 and 8 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes, until the pear slices soften slightly and begin to release juices.
3. Uncover and let cool to room temperature, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Streusel Topping:  

1. Combine all ingredients except the butter in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Stir in the melted butter until thoroughly blended and the mixture starts to clump slightly
3. Let sit.

Cranberries:

1. Add cranberries, sugar, and grated ginger¹ to a food processor fitted with the blade
2. Pulse just until the cranberries are roughly chopped, 4 to 6 pulses

Finishing the pie:      Preheat oven to 375°F

1. Place the pear slices in a colander to drain off the juices. Discard the juice.
2. Combine the drained pears with the cranberry mixture. Place in pie shell.
3. Cover with the streusel topping, breaking apart large clumps.
4. Place on parchment or foil lined baking sheet and bake until fruit juices are bubbling and topping is an almost dark golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. If the pie shell edge or topping begin to over brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
5. Remove from oven and let cool until warm or room temperature.
6. Serve as is or with vanilla ice cream

Notes:

¹ Eliminate this to tone down the pie’s overall ginger flavor.