Five-Spice Pear-Apple Pie

(from saymyname’s recipe box)

Serves 6 people

Categories: Apples, Dessert, Pears, Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shells, refrigerated
  • Filling:
  • 3 1/2 cups peeled cored, and sliced Granny Smith apples (also may use Cortland or Northern Spy)
  • 3 1/2 cups cored sliced ripe pears (peeled or unpeeled)
  • 1 grated lemon, zest of
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 3/4 cup sugar, divided
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
  • Cornmeal Streusel Topping:
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
  • 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Directions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the apples, pears, lemon zest, lemon juice, orange juice, and 1/2 cup sugar; set aside for 10 minutes.

  2. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and five-spice powder; stir mixture into the fruit.

  3. Transfer filling to the chilled pie shell; smooth filling with you hands to even it out.

  4. Place the pie on the center oven rack of a 400° oven; bake for 30 minutes.

  5. To make the topping: put the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, and salt in the container of a food processor; pulse several times to mix.

  6. Scatter the butter over the mixture; pulse until mixture resembles fine crumbs.

  7. Empty crumbs into a bowl and rub them between your fingers to make large, buttery crumbs; refrigerate until ready to use.

  8. Take pie out of oven and lower oven temperature to 375°.

  9. Distribute crumbs evenly over top of pie; tamp them down lightly.

  10. Return pie to oven (rotate pie so that the part that faced the back of the oven now faces the front); place a foil-lined baking sheet onto the rack below to catch any spills.

  11. Bake for 30 minutes or until the juices bubble thickly around the edge.

  12. Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool at least 1 hour before serving.

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