Here's a pie with a surprising combination of filling ingredients: pears, cranberries, and apricots. Serendipitously, it works. The sweet-tartness of the apricots and cranberries sets off the pears' rich flavor very nicely.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Have on hand a 9" (deep-dish or regular) pie pan.
To make the crust: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, pecan meal, sugar, salt, and dough improver.
Cut in the cold butter and vegetable shortening, then toss in enough water for the dough to become somewhat (but not fully) cohesive.
Sprinkle the dough into the pie pan, and press the crumbs up the sides of the pan.
To make the filling: Combine all of the filling ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl, and spoon them into the prepared crust.
To make the streusel topping: Combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, and nuts, then mix in the soft butter until the mixture is crumbly.
Sprinkle the topping over the filling.
Bake the pie at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes, tenting the pie with aluminum foil after 30 minutes if it appears to be browning too quickly.
Remove it from the oven, and let it cool on a rack before slicing.
Store the pie, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month.
Flour, cornstarch, tapioca, ClearJel… how much thickener should you use? For a practical look at all the options, see our Fruit Pie Thickeners Guide.
Why is there such a range in volume for fruit pie filling from one recipe to the next? Some recipe writers simply like more fruit in their pie. And some fruits (think raspberries) shrink more than others (e.g., apples) during baking, so you need to start with greater volume to yield an amply-filled pie.
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.
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