French Pear Pie

This French-style pear pie piles thinly sliced Bartlett pears into a flaky crust and blankets them with a buttery, spiced crumb topping. Orange juice concentrate tossed with the pears adds a subtle citrus sweetness that plays beautifully against the cinnamon and ginger in the crumble.

Unlike a double-crust pie, the open crumb top lets moisture escape so the filling sets up instead of turning soupy. That’s especially important with pears, which release a lot of juice as they bake.

Slice the pears thin and even so they cook through at the same rate. If the crumb topping starts browning too fast, tent it loosely with foil after 30 minutes and let the fruit finish softening underneath. Cool the pie fully on a wire rack before slicing so the filling firms up.

Kitchen Tips

• Use ripe but firm Bartlett pears. Overripe fruit turns mushy and makes the filling watery
• Cut the butter into the crumb topping with a pastry blender or your fingertips until it looks like coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces
• This pie is best served the same day it’s baked since the crumb topping softens overnight
• A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce goes perfectly alongside

Variations

• Swap Bartlett pears for Bosc or Anjou for a firmer, less juicy filling
• Add a handful of dried cranberries to the pear mixture for tartness
• Stir chopped pecans into the crumb topping for nutty crunch