Streusel Topped Pear and Blueberry Pie

This pie is so good, words cannot describe it. When I first discovered this delicacy, I made it 5 times back-to-back. I gained so much weight that week.

I love it warm, I love it cold, I love it by itself, and I really love it with ice cream. As a matter of fact, one just might drop a wedge of pie into a blender with ice cream and milk making the most amazingly decadent milkshake/blizzard/flurry-like treat ever known to man. Let's see if my pie results are as good as they were back in the very early 2000's.

Streusel Topped Pear and Blueberry Pie

adapted from Epicurious
click to print

9" pie crust

Filling:
2 pounds firm but ripe pears (about 5 medium), peeled, cored, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
9 tbsp sugar, divided
2 tbsp orange juice
Pinch of salt
2 1/4 c frozen blueberries
6 tbsp all purpose flour

Walnut Streusel Topping:
1 c all purpose flour
1/2 c packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c walnuts, toasted
1/2 c chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake crust until light golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool while preparing filling. Maintain oven temperature.

 
The crust shrank a little bit, but not enough to sweat over.

  
These pears are two weeks old and surprisingly not yet mushy.

Combine pear pieces, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons orange juice and salt in large nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat until pears are tender but still hold their shape, stirring often, about 6 minutes.

 

Transfer pear mixture to large bowl; cool to room temperature.

If you're in a hurry, expedite cooling by using a large baking sheet or dish instead of a bowl.

Meanwhile, using on/off turns, blend all streusel ingredients in processor or blender until coarse crumbs form.

 

 
I used to just do this by finely chopping the nuts and then cutting the butter into the dry ingredients -- like making pie crust. I'll probably go back to doing that. A pastry blender is just as easy and actually less hassle.

Add blueberries, flour and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar to pears; toss gently to blend.
  

Transfer filling to cooled pie crust, mounding filling slightly in center. Sprinkle with Walnut-Streusel Topping.

 

Bake pie until juices bubble thickly, fruit is tender and streusel topping is golden brown, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool pie on rack until lukewarm.

Cut pie into wedges and serve.

  
The pie was still quite warm after two very long hours of cooling.


I love this pie. Tart, yet sweet, crunchy, tender. It's just as good as I remembered.

Cost:

• crust: $1.29
• pears: $2.49
• sugar: $0.19
• orange juice: $0.41
• blueberries: $1.99
• flour: $0.22
• dark brown sugar: $0.26
• walnuts: $1.60
• butter: $0.42

Total: $8.87. That's about $1.11 for each of eight delicious slices of heavenly pie.

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