The pear pie is special. Even people who don’t like pies have raved about this pie among those who have tried it. Making this recipe is therefore risk-free, especially for individuals who are sensitive eaters.
| Prep Time: | 45 mins |
| Cook Time: | 1 hr |
| Additional Time: | 45 mins |
| Total Time: | 2 hrs 30 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
| Yield: | 1 9-inch pie |
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, diced and frozen
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening, chilled
- 3 tablespoons ice water, or more if needed
- 5 Bosc pears, sliced
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unbleached flour, divided
- cooking spray
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- Mix flour and salt together in a food processor. Add cold butter and vegetable shortening; process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in water 1 tablespoon at a time until a thick and sticky dough forms. Continue processing until dough forms a firm ball, about 15 minutes.
- Place dough in a bowl. Cover with a wet towel and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Combine pears, white sugar, brown sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined, about 10 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons flour and continue mixing until filling is thick and glossy.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly spray a pie plate with cooking spray.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead dough about 4 times. Separate into 2 even pieces. Flatten 1 piece for the bottom crust. Place in the pie dish with excess dough hanging over the sides. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over the crust. Add pear mixture to just below the rim of the pie plate.
- Roll out second piece of dough and cut into thin strips. Lay 1/2 of the strips vertically over the pie. Place remaining strips horizontally on top. Fold overhanging dough over the edges of the strips to cover them. Press to seal with your fingers. Use the back of a fork to crimp the edge.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl. Brush over the pie. Continue baking until top and edges are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.
- It has taken me 3 years to perfect this recipe with tweaking it and trying different kinds of pears. The Bosc pears are the best for this pie, as they do not become grainy when cooked and do not create a lot of juices. Any pear will work but your pie could become very juicy, so add a little extra flour to absorb the juices from the pears and sugar.
- I recommend using a dough mixer. Otherwise, you will need to knead the dough by hand for 15 minutes.
- Substitute 1/2 lemon, juiced, for the lemon zest, if preferred.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 428 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 63 g |
| Cholesterol | 54 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Sodium | 198 mg |
| Sugars | 36 g |
| Fat | 19 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
The pie itself tasted good. The dough was too soft and hard to work with. It baked up too crumbly for me.