You might think that a pastry chef would never recommend buying pie crusts – but hey, it’s much better to make a pie with a pre-made crust than not to make a pie at all! For the best flavor, always look for the ones made with at least some butter, rather than all shortening.

You can place the crust in a glass pie dish. That way you can check the bottom crust as it bakes and make sure it’s getting nice and golden – which to my mind is the most important step in pie-making. Nothing ruins a delicious pie – like this classic combination of autumn fruits and warm spices – faster than an undercooked, soggy bottom crust.

You can mix the topping and keep it refrigerated for up to 7 days.

Ingredients

For the Streusel topping:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

For the pie:

• 1 refrigerated or frozen 9-inch deep-dish pie crust (see above)
• 3 Granny Smith or other tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 3 firm but ripe pears, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into small pieces