Oh “Pushing Daisies,” how I will miss your whimsical set, your quirky characters, your clever dialogue…. your homeopathic mood-enhanced fruit pies with Grueyere baked into the crust.

Wait. Stop. Strike that last item. I won’t miss those pies; not now that I’ve figured out how to cook up my very own Gruyere-crusted pear-apple pie (no additional mood enhancers necessary) thanks to an easy adaption of a recipe from my bible of pies. 

What makes this pie really spectacular is the crust: flakey pastry with a full cup of finely shredded Gruyere cheese….

… to add a subtle savory contrast to a sweet fruit filling — in this case, Granny Smith apples and Anjou pears.

Marry them together. Pop ‘em in the oven.

Then consume quickly. Seriously. Don’t wait until after dinner. The sharp flavor of the cheese comes through best with the pie is fresh and still warm from the oven. Let it sit around and get cold, and flavor gets muted. So cut yourself a big fat, warm slice of pie and eat.

(In an emergency situation, of course, you could let the pie cool completely and the zap your slice in the microwave to warm it up before eating.)

Recipe after the jump.

Gruyere-Crusted Apple-Pear Pie
Makes 1 pie (8 servings)

1 recipe Gruyere Cheese Pie Pastry (recipe follows), double crust
4 cups peeled, cored and sliced Granny Smith apples
3 cups peeled, cored and sliced ripe pears
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch salt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

On a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the larger portion of the pastry into a 13-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Invert the pastry over a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan, center, and peel off the paper. Gently tuck the pastry into the pan, letting the overhang drape over the edge. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Combine the apples, pears and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a large bowl. Toss to mix, then set aside to juice for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the remaining sugar, the cornstarch and salt in a small bowl. Add the mixture to the fruit and toss well. Stir in the lemon juice.

On another sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the other half of the pastry into an 11 1/2-inch circle. Turn the filling into the chilled pie shell and smooth the top with your hands. Dot the filling with the butter. Lightly moisten the rim of the pie shell. Invert the top pastry over the filling, center and peel off the paper. Press the top and bottom together along the damped edge. Trim the pastry with a paring knife, leaving an 1/2-inch overhang, then sculpt the overhang into an upstanding ridge. Poke several steam vents in the top crust with a fork or parking knife.

Place the pie in the center oven rack and bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and rotate the pie 180 degrees. Bake until the top is dark golden brown and any juices visible at the steam vents bubble thickly, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool briefly before serving.

Note: This pie is best served warm, because the more the pie cools, the more muted the flavor the cheese becomes.

Gruyere Cheese Pie Pastry
Makes a double crust

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
1 cup finely shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup cold water

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Toss well, by hand, to mix. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients and toss to mix. Using a pastry blender, 2 knives or your fingertips, cut or rub the butter into the flour until it is broken into pieces the size of small peas. Add the shortening and continue to cut until all of the fat is cut into small pieces. Add the cheese. Toss with your hands to mix.

Sprinkle half of the water over the mixture. Toss well with a fork to dampen the mixture. Add the remaining water, 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons at a time, and continue to toss and mix, pulling the mixture up from the bottom of the bowl on the upstroke and gently pressing down on the downstroke. If necessary, add more water, 1 to 2 teaspoons at a time, until the pastry can be packed.

Pack the pastry into two balls, making one ball slightly larger than the other. Knead each ball once or twice, then flatten the balls into 3/4-inch thick disks on a floured surface. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight before rolling.

Adapted from “Pie” (Harvard Common Press) by Ken Haedrich