SPICED PEAR PIE WITH LAUREN SCHOFIELD

"I wanted to make a pear dessert because pears often play second fiddle to the reliable apple and the glamorous quince in holiday baking. I thought I’d give them a moment to shine without their usual partners, frangipane and red wine.

I love making pies with hot water crust for two reasons: first, the dough comes together much quicker than other pie doughs—no resting, no chilling, no waiting. Second, you can create really tall pies with excellent structural integrity. This pie is small but tall—eight inches across and as thick as a deep-dish quiche. While hot water crust is typically used for savory pies, it balances beautifully with the pears piled high inside.

In this recipe, be sure to use firm pears—not dry or astringent, but firm. They will hold their shape instead of baking down into a silty mush. This pie is best served warm but not hot; allowing it to cool adequately ensures you’ll get a nice slice. It pairs perfectly with vanilla ice cream."

SPICED PEAR PIE

INGREDIENTS

For the filling:

4 pounds firm (but not too firm!) pears, cored and sliced into small chunks
50g white sugar
50g light brown sugar
3g Diamond Crystal kosher salt
3g ground cinnamon (Diaspora Peni Miris Cinnamon)
8 grates of fresh nutmeg (Diaspora Anamalai Nutmeg)
Juice from half a lemon
10g cornstarch

For the hot water crust:

385g all-purpose flour
3g Diamond Crystal kosher salt
25g white sugar
181g water
90g butter

METHOD

For the filling
In a large bowl, gently toss the sliced pears with the sugars, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Cover and let sit for at least one hour.

After the mixture has settled, the pears will release some liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Pour as much of this liquid as possible into a separate bowl, sift the cornstarch over it, and stir to create a smooth slurry.

Pour the cornstarch mixture back into the bowl of pears and toss to combine.

To build the pie
Butter an 8” springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar until well combined.

In a small pot, heat the water and butter together until just boiling. Remove from heat and pour over the flour mixture, stirring to combine. Switch to your hands to knead the mixture until homogeneous—it will be quite warm!

Split the dough into three equal pieces, keeping two of them covered under an overturned bowl to stay warm while you work.

Roll out one piece into a rough circle slightly larger than the bottom of the springform pan. Trim to size and press into the parchment-lined bottom of the pan.

Roll the second piece of dough into a long rectangle, trimming it to fit the walls of the pan. It’s fine if you need to cut the rolled-out dough into smaller pieces to press them in separately. Ensure all seams are sealed to prevent leakage.

Pour the pear filling into the dough-lined pan and use a spoon or rubber spatula to even it out.

Roll out the third piece of dough like the first and place it on top of the pear filling, pinching it to seal with the dough lining the walls of the pan. Use a sharp knife to slice vents into the top of the pie in your desired shape.

Whisk an egg yolk with a teaspoon of water and brush the mixture over the top of the pie. Bake at 375°F for about 1 hour, or until the crust is a deep golden brown.

Let cool for about 45 minutes to an hour, then turn out of the pan and serve with vanilla ice cream.