Cozy Autumn Fruit Pie

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, chilled
• ½ cup cream cheese
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 apples - peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1 pear - peeled, cored and sliced
• ¼ cup orange juice
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ cup apricot jam, warmed

Step 1

Cut the cold butter and cream cheese into the flour using a knife or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. If you have a food processor, you can pulse the cold butter into the flour until it’s crumbly like cornmeal, then add the cream cheese and pulse again until the pieces are about the size of small peas. When you squeeze some of the mixture, it should hold together in a ball. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and pop it in the fridge for at least an hour.

Step 2

While the dough chills, toss your sliced apples and pear with the orange juice. In a separate bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cornstarch. Stir this spice-sugar blend into the fruit until everything is well coated, then set it aside.

Step 3

Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C). If you’re using an 8-inch tart pan, have that ready, or if you prefer a rustic galette, lightly grease a baking sheet.

Step 4

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 10-inch circle. Transfer it carefully to your tart pan or baking sheet. Arrange the fruit nicely on top of the dough. If you’re making a galette, leave about a 2-inch border around the fruit and fold the edges of the dough up over the filling, overlapping the folds as you go.

Step 5

Bake the tart for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the fruit filling is bubbling. When it’s done, take it out of the oven and brush the top with some warm apricot jam for a lovely shiny finish.