Anyone still in need of pie inspiration for Thanksgiving? I’m late in posting this, since we just moved. And I’m a bit frazzled. But I can still make (rustic?!) lattice pie!! (That feels like an accomplishment with my frazzled moving brain.) Our new place smells amazing right now, and I can’t think of a better way to inaugurate the new oven. I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving – or at least that you have a few moments where the kitchen smells like baking pie and you breathe it in and slow down for a minute and smile at someone you love.
This pie came about because I had several pears that refused to co-operate into perfect ripeness, and I refused to leave them behind when we moved. I hold on to stuff, apparently.
I like my pies with a bit of tartness – I mean, I’ll eat just about any pie with a smile on my face, let’s be honest. But when I can choose (and if that choice isn’t something that goes well with a national day of thanksgiving and gratitude, I don’t know what is), I will usually go for apple, and better if the apple is still pretty tart. In the UK they have these baking apples called Bramleys – too tart to eat, but soooo good for baking. I miss them. In honor of the Bramley, I’m adding pear and cranberry here. Also orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and, well, lemon juice. I got carried away from my quest for simplicity. But! This pie is worth it, my friends. And if you feel up to a little lattice action, well, go right ahead. It’s surprisingly satisfying, even if your efforts (like mine) are of the “delightfully rustic” variety.
- 2 pie crusts - top and bottom
- 3 small pears, peeled, cored, and sliced into ½ inch thick slices
- 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into ½ inch thick slices
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- ⅓ - ¼ cup granulated sugar
- zest of 1 tangerine
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- a beaten egg or about 1 tablespoon of cream for brushing the pastry
- extra sugar for topping pie
- Het your oven to 400F / 200C
- Line your pie dish with one of the pie crusts. Place both in the fridge to chill while you make the filling.
- Mix the fruit, sugar, zest, corn starch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add the mixture to the lined pie dish.
- Top the pie, either by placing the second crust on top, crimping the edges together to seal, and slicing a few vents in the crust, OR by slicing the second crust into strips and doing a lattice. See above links for tutorials!
- Trust the top crust with either the beaten egg or the cream, then sprinkle with a bit of sugar.
- Bake at 400/200 for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350F/175C and bake for a further 30-40 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned.