Pear and Almond Croustade

Recipe courtesy of California Pear Advisory Board.

Recipe Ingredients:

Pastry for a single (9-inch) pie crust
4 ripe, but firm, Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and sliced
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
2. Lay pastry flat on a large parchment-lined baking sheet and set aside.
3. Place pears in a medium bowl and add preserves, brown sugar, packed, cornstarch, extract and cinnamon; toss well to coat pears with mixture.
4. Mound pears in the center of the pastry and gather up the edges up to form a 2-inch rim of pastry around the outside.
5. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, butter and brown sugar, packed until crumbly; sprinkle over the opening of the pie and top with almonds.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool for at least 30 minutes to firm up the filling before cutting.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe): Calories: 560; Total Fat: 25g; Cholesterol: 10mg; Total Carbs: 81g; Fiber: 5g; Protein: 5g; Sodium: 340mg.

Recipe and photograph courtesy of California Pear Advisory Board.