Cranberry Crumble Pie: an Expert’s Thanksgiving Special
Choosing a favorite among all the pies we sell at my Detroit shop is almost impossible, said Lisa Ludwinski in Sister Pie (Lorena Jones Books). “But if I had to pick just one pie, it’d be this Sister Pie classic, because it lives up to my formula of what creates the ultimate pie experience: flaky, all-butter
crust meets the tartest fruit in season plus a buttery, brown sugar crumble topping.” The crust, compote, and crumble can all be made in advance. For the crust, you can use your own recipe or find mine online by searching for my name and “All-Butter Pie Dough.” The bottom crust should be blindbaked in a 450-degree oven before the filling is added. Pull the pie shell directly from
the freezer, cover it with foil, fill it with dried beans (instead of fancy pie weights),
and bake 25 to 27 minutes.
Cranberry crumble pie
For compote:
12 oz cranberries, rinsed and sorted
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
¾ tsp grated orange zest
1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
Combine all ingredients in a heavybottomed saucepan and cook over low to medium heat until cranberries burst. Remove from heat. Cool completely.
For crumble:
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp kosher salt
1¼ sticks unsalted butter, straight from the fridge
In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Place butter in bowl, coat on all sides with flour mixture, then use a bench scraper to cut into ½-inch cubes. Coat cubes lightly with the flour, then cut again. Switch to a pastry blender and continue cutting through butter as you turn bowl. Once most of butter is incorporated, use fingers to fully break it down until it is no longer visible, but don’t overwork the mixture.
For filling:
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground allspice
¼ cup tapioca starch
1½ tsp kosher salt
8 oz cranberries, rinsed and sorted
½ Bosc or Anjou pear, peeled and grated
2 tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature
One 9-inch pie crust, baked and cooled
1 large egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add cranberries, pear, and cooled compote, using your hands or a wooden spoon to mix completely. Using a small offset spatula, evenly spread cream cheese on bottom of pie shell. Brush crimped edge with beaten egg. Layer cranberry mixture over cheese. Cover with crumble topping, leaving a small hole in the center.
Place pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until pie juices begin to bubble, 60 to 70 minutes. Remove pie from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Cool 4 to 6 hours before slicing. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
