Cranberry Pear Pandowdy

Cranberry Pear Pandowdy

David Venable

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Serves: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt, divided
  • 1 Tbsp corn starch
  • ½ tsp dried ginger
  • Zest of one orange
  • 24-oz pears (about 6)
  • 5-oz cranberries (about 1 cup)
  • 1/3 cup pear nectar
  • 9-inch pie crust
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp whole milk

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, corn starch, and dried ginger until there are no clumps. Add the orange zest and mix thoroughly with clean hands until the sugar mixture is slightly moistened and fragrant. Add the pears and cranberries and toss to combine.

Transfer to a large cast iron skillet or pie dish and pour over the pear nectar. Set aside.

To prepare the crust, unroll a disc of store-bought pie crust onto a floured work surface. Using cookie cutters, punch out any shapes you like. Cut the scrap dough into smaller irregular pieces and scatter evenly over the cranberry pear mixture. Fill in any gaps with your cut out shapes.

To make your egg wash, combine the egg, milk, and 1/8 tsp of salt in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth and use a pastry brush to coat the pandowdy crust. Sprinkle a little extra sugar over top and put into the oven.

After 20-30 minutes, or when the crust is slightly browned and the filling is bubbling, press the crust down slightly into the filling with a large spoon. Bake for another 10-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Let cool for about 20 minutes and serve warm.

Cook's Notes

Pushing the crust down partway through baking helps thicken the filling and caramelize the crust.

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