Old-Fashioned Spiced Pear Pie with Flaky Butter Crust

Why you’ll love it

• A fresh holiday pie: a delicious change from the usual apple and pumpkin.
• Juicy but sliceable: a spiced, honeyed filling that sets into clean slices.
• Flaky all-butter crust: simple homemade pastry that bakes up crisp and golden.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the all-butter crust

• 2 1/2 cups (315 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 tbsp (12 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) cubes
• 6 to 8 tbsp (90 to 120 ml) ice water

For the pear filling

• 3 lb (1.4 kg) ripe but firm pears, such as Bartlett, Bosc or Anjou (about 7 medium), peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick (about 8 cups)
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (55 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (32 g) cornstarch
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp (28 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the topping

• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp (15 ml) milk or cream
• 1 tbsp (12 g) turbinado or coarse sugar

Step-by-step method

1. Make the dough. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and salt. Add the cold butter and cut it in with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the largest pieces are the size of peas. Drizzle in 6 tablespoons of ice water and toss with a fork until the dough holds together when squeezed, adding more water 1 tablespoon at a time only if needed.

2. Chill the dough. Divide the dough in half, press each half into a 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

3. Make the filling. In a large bowl, toss the pears with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, salt and vanilla until evenly coated. Let stand 10 minutes while you roll the crust.

4. Roll the bottom crust. Place a rack in the lowest position of the oven, set a rimmed sheet pan on it and preheat to 425°F (220°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk into a 12-inch (30 cm) circle and fit it into a 9-inch (23 cm) deep-dish pie plate, letting the excess hang over the edge.

5. Fill and top. Stir the pears, then spoon them and all their juices into the crust, mounding them slightly in the center. Dot with the 2 tablespoons of butter. Roll the second disk into an 11-inch (28 cm) circle and lay it over the filling (or cut it into strips and weave a lattice). Trim the overhang to 1/2 inch (1.3 cm), fold the edges under and crimp them. Cut 5 or 6 slits in the top crust.

6. Chill and glaze. Refrigerate the pie 15 minutes to firm up the crust. Brush the top with the egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

7. Bake. Place the pie on the hot sheet pan and bake 20 minutes at 425°F (220°C). Reduce the oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake 45 to 50 minutes more, until the crust is deep golden and the juices bubble thickly through the slits. If the edges brown too fast, cover them with foil or a pie shield.

8. Cool completely. Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 3 hours, so the filling can set, before slicing and serving.

How to know it is done

The pie is ready when the crust is a deep, even golden brown, including the bottom (look through the glass if you use a glass pie plate), and the juices bubble slowly and thickly through the slits in the center of the pie, not just at the edges. Thick, glossy bubbles mean the cornstarch has activated and the filling will set; thin, watery juices mean it needs 5 to 10 more minutes. A knife inserted through a slit should meet tender pears with no resistance.

Tips for the best result

• Choose pears that are ripe but still firm; very soft pears turn mushy and release too much juice.
• Keep the butter and water ice-cold so the crust bakes up flaky.
• Bake on the lowest rack on a preheated sheet pan for a crisp bottom crust that never gets soggy.
• Wait until the juices bubble in the center; that is the sign the filling will slice cleanly.
• Be patient and let the pie cool completely; warm pear pie is still runny.

Variations and substitutions

• Pear and cranberry: replace 1 cup of the pears with 1 cup (100 g) fresh or frozen cranberries and add 2 tbsp more sugar.
• Crumb-topped: make only one crust and top the pie with a streusel of 3/4 cup (95 g) flour, 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar and 6 tbsp (85 g) cold butter; bake 20 minutes at 425°F and 35 to 40 minutes at 375°F.
• Ginger lovers: add 2 tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger to the filling.
• Bourbon pear: add 1 tbsp (15 ml) bourbon to the filling with the vanilla.
• Store-bought crust: use 2 refrigerated pie crusts (for a 9-inch double-crust pie) instead of the homemade dough.
• Egg-free finish: brush the top crust with cream or milk instead of the egg wash.

Make ahead

Make the pie dough up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it, or freeze the wrapped disks for up to 3 months and thaw them overnight in the refrigerator. The baked pie keeps beautifully: bake it up to 1 day ahead, let it cool completely and keep it loosely covered at room temperature, which is a great way to free up the oven on Thanksgiving Day.

Storage and reheating

Keep the pie loosely covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve it at room temperature, or warm individual slices in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 minutes or in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. To freeze, wrap the cooled pie (or slices) tightly in plastic and foil and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and re-crisp in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes.