Autumn Pear Pie

This pie has all the traditional flavors for a Thanksgiving dessert while having something just a little different:  pears instead of apples!  The original recipe calls it Pear Butterscotch Pie, but I think that is a misnomer.  There is no butterscotch in it, and nothing that really would create that flavor.  But the butter and sugar and spices all make for a wonderful combination.

I didn't know I was going to make this until the day before, and as everyone knows you can't buy ripe pears.  So they were still pretty crunchy, and that didn't cook out of them.  (That surprised me.)  Consequently, I think the 1/6 slices were a bit fat for the pie, and would prefer 1/8 or thinner.  (In fact, I did cut most of the pears into eighths.)

This recipe could easily handle apples instead of pears, or a combination would be nice!

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

2½ pounds firm-ripe pears (Bartlett or Anjou, about 5) peeled, cored, and cut into 6 wedges

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Double recipe all-butter pastry dough (recipe follows)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into bits

1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon warm water

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Put a baking sheet on middle rack of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.  Whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, then whisk in brown sugar, breaking up any lumps. Gently toss pears with brown sugar mixture, lemon juice, and vanilla and let stand 5 to 15 minutes to macerate fruit.

With such large pear slices, you want to make sure
to fit them together snugly.

Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining disk chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out remaining piece of dough into a 13-inch round. Reserve scraps.  Transfer filling to shell. Dot with butter, then cover with pastry round. Trim edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang (reserve scraps). Press edges together to seal, then fold under. Lightly brush top crust with some of egg wash, then cut 3 (1-inch-long) vents.  Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining disk chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out remaining piece of dough into a 13-inch round. Reserve scraps.  Transfer filling to shell. Dot with butter, then cover with pastry round.

Ready for the oven!

Trim edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang (reserve scraps). Press edges together to seal, then fold under. Lightly brush top crust with some of egg wash, then cut 3 (1-inch-long) vents.  Roll out dough scraps about 1/8 inch thick and cut out leaf shapes with cutters (or a knife). Arrange decoratively on top of pie, pressing gently to help them adhere. Lightly brush top crust and cutouts with some of egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Bake pie on hot baking sheet 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F and bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes more. Cool to warm or room temperature, 2 to 3 hours.

Dough
2½ cups all-purpose flour (not unbleached)
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
9 to 12 tablespoons ice water

Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl, then blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 9 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in food processor) until incorporated.  Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)  Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together with scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a 6-inch disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.  (Makes enough for a 12-inch single-crust galette or a 9-inch double-crust pie.)

So much for the decorative cutouts.

Conclusion:  This was delicious and I would make it again, but I would be sure to have sweet, ripe pears.   I would also increase the amount of spice mix, add a little more salt, and cut the pears into thinner slices.

Recipes:  Pear Butterscotch Pie  (Aug 20, 2009, Sept 2009 issue) and All-Butter Pastry Dough (Aug 20, 2004, Jan 2003 issue) via Epicurious