Move over apple pie, pear pie is ready to take the spotlight! Pears are a bright spot in the winter produce landscape, and they star alongside vibrant dried cherries in this pie with a crunchy almond streusel on top.
To make the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
Cut in the shortening, mixing until crumbly, then the butter, leaving some of the pieces in nickel-sized chunks.
Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of ice water, a tablespoon at a time, while tossing with a fork, until the dough starts to clump together, adding more water as needed.
Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk with smooth edges, wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Place a rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat to 425°F. Lightly grease a 9" pie pan that's at least 1 1/2" deep.
To make the filling: Put the pears, cherries, lemon juice, and almond extract in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and Instant ClearJel and sprinkle over the fruit. Stir the fruit to coat it evenly.
To make the topping: Mix the topping ingredients together until crumbly; set aside.
To assemble the pear pie: Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12" circle. Place it in the prepared pan, trim the edges to an even 1" overhang, then fold the edges under and crimp the edges.
Spoon in the filling, then sprinkle the topping over the filling. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake the pear pie for 15 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 375°F and bake an additional 45 minutes, or until the top is brown and filling is bubbling.
Remove the pear pie the oven and let cool completely before slicing.
Stored leftover slices of pear pie in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Flour, cornstarch, tapioca, ClearJel… how much thickener should you use? For a practical look at all the options, see our Fruit Pie Thickeners Guide.
If you’re not a fan of vegetable shortening, be sure to check out our recipes for All-Butter Pie Crust, Brown Butter Pie Crust, and No-Roll Pie Crust.
Let King Arthur's pastry pros show you how to bake your best pie ever: from flaky crust to perfect filling, we can help! Check out our Pie Baking Guide now.
