Heavenly Dessert! Apples, Pears & Praline oh my!

Apple Pear 

Praline Pie

Arizona isn't all about deserts! I live in the Rim Country, approx 5600 ft. and about an hour and a half Northeast of Phoenix. Ponderosa Pines stand tall, and fruit trees of all varieties,  are generously scattered everywhere! Thanks to the weather we had last winter, this summer brought an abundance of apples, pears and plums!  So many apples, and so many wonderful ways to prepare them!

I stumbled on this Apple Pear Praline Pie recipe while searching for a nice apple/pear combination. My friend has an Asian pear tree, and I was able to pick a few of the ones the birds had kindly left alone.  I found this recipe on the Pillsbury.com site, and of course altered it just a little bit. My additions are italicized in blue to distinguish them from the original recipe.  If you do make this pie, I promise you,  it is a huge hit, and gone before you can think how to store it! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

6

cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apples **(I used a nice variety of apples ranging from Red Delicious to Macintosh)

3

cups thinly sliced peeled pears ** (I used 3 Asian Pears and one Red Pear)

3/4

cup granulated sugar

1/4

cup all-purpose flour

2

to 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4

teaspoon salt

1

box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box **(Pillsbury pie crust is absolutely wonderful if you're pressed for time!  When I bake, I love to do everything myself!)

1

tablespoon all-purpose flour

2

tablespoons butter or margarine

1 

cups (1 bag - 8 oz) almond brickle or toffee bits **(I had to substitute crushed Heath bars)

1/2

cup butter or margarine

1

cup packed brown sugar

1/4    cup half-and-half (Fat-free Half & Half )

1

cup chopped pecans

• about 8 caramels 

• 1-2 Teaspoons of Apple Jack Brandy - or more...

DIRECTIONS

1Heat oven to 350°F.2In large bowl, gently toss apples, pears, granulated sugar, 1/4 cup flour, the cinnamon and salt. Let stand 15 minutes. Place 1 pie crust in ungreased 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate; sprinkle lightly with 1 tablespoon flour. Spoon apple mixture into pastry-lined pie plate; dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the almond brickle. Top with second pie crust. Flute edges as desired. Cut slits in several places in top crust to allow steam to escape.3Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until golden brown; remove pie from oven. Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter over low heat. Stir in brown sugar and half-and-half. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. **(stir in the caramels, and the Apple Jack Brandy) Remove from heat; stir in pecans. Spread sauce over top of hot pie; sprinkle with remaining almond brickle. Cool 2 hours before serving.