Pear Cranberry Cheddar Pie with Hazelnut Crumble
Fruits, nuts, and cheese bring satisfyingly complex flavor to a traditional dessert.
By Yankee Magazine|Jan 26 2021|
Pear Cranberry Cheddar Pie with Hazelnut Crumble
Photo Credit: Mark Weinberg | Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne | Prop Styling by Veronica OlsonChef Nadine Nelson recalls: “My uncle made this pie for Thanksgiving every year, and as a child I was fascinated by the combination of fruit and cheese—an addition inspired by Vermont apple and cheddar pie. The cheese doesn’t add savory notes as much as a creamy tang, and the cranberries add tartness and a pop of color.” Note: We made this pie in a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. For a shallower pie pan, you’ll want to increase the diameter to 10 or 12 inches.
From “Baking Power,” January/February 2021
Yield
8 servings
For the filling
Ingredients
5 large ripe pears (any kind), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 9-inch deep-dish pie shell, parbaked
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425° and set a rack to the lowest position. Combine the pear chunks, cranberries, cheese, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, ginger, and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Spoon into the pie shell, leaving the juices behind.
For the topping
Ingredients
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup hazelnuts, skins removed, chopped
1/2 cup salted butter, melted
Instructions
For the topping, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and nuts. Pour the melted butter on top and stir with a fork until crumbles develop. Sprinkle topping all over the filling.
Bake the pie for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375° and bake until the top is browned and the juices are bubbling, 40 to 50 minutes more. Remove finished pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. The pie filling will set as it cools. Slice and serve pie at room temperature.
Look forward making this
I baked this pie earlier today. I followed the directions exactly, except I used walnuts instead of hazelnuts. I checked it at the minimum baking time of 40 minutes and it was just on the verge of burning both the topping and bottom crust. I really don’t think that you need to parbake the crust, and I’d start checking on the pie at 30 minutes. With such a hot oven, I should have known better. I haven’t tried cutting it yet, but I’m sure it will taste just fine with a big gob of vanilla ice cream on top. Bet it would be good using apples instead of pears, too.
I should have waited to comment until after I’d tasted it. Absolutely the best tasting pie ever! There were only two of us for dinner last night and we ate half of it with vanilla ice cream. We’ll worth the calories. Definitely a keeper.