Recipe: Bartlett Pear and Almond Croustade

BARTLETT PEAR AND ALMOND CROUSTADE

"A croustade is an edible pastry container, a kind of open pie, not baked in a dish. The French word sounds appealing, evoking the idea of a crisp, flaky crust. When it's filled with pears, as in the following easy, seasonal recipe, you can add other associations: fruity flavor and texture, and rich juice."

1 Pastry for single pie crust
4 ripe firm Bartlett Pears, peeled, cored, sliced
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
FOR THE TOPPING:
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lay pastry flat on a large parchment-lined baking sheet and set aside.

Place pears in a medium bowl and add preserves, brown sugar, cornstarch, extract and cinnamon; toss well to coat pears with mixture. 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.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, butter and brown sugar until crumbly; sprinkle over the opening of the pie and top with almonds.

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
Source: Associated Press and California Pear Advisory Board