Almond Pear Cranberry Pie

Ingredients

Almond Paste complements pears and cranberries for this seasonal pie.

35 minutes to assemble
60-70 minutes to bake
Total time: 1 hour and 35-45 minutes

8 servings

Place oven rack on lowest rung. Preheat oven to 425°F.
Grate orange peel into a large bowl and measure 2 tablespoons of juice from orange. Add to bowl.
Stem, peel, core and cut pears into 1/2" chunks. Add to bowl and toss with peel and orange juice.
Add cranberries and 1/2 cup of sugar to a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until cranberries are chopped fine. Add to pears.
In a small bowl, mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until combined. Toss with fruit and set aside.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll crust to fit a 9" pie plate (about 12") and fit into dish. Shape Almond Paste into a flat disk and place between two sheets of wax paper. Roll out to a 9" circle and press into bottom and up sides of pie crust.
Pour filling into pie shell and dot with butter.
Roll second crust. Brush first crust edge with milk to seal. Lay second crust on top of filling. Seal edges and cut steam vents. Brush crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Place pie on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 40-50 minutes more or until juice is bubbly and pears soft.
Cool on wire rack 2-3 hours to serve warm or cool completely.