Author Notes
A sweet autumn pie in which the sweet dances with the savory. Inspired by a classic cheese plate and a southern born passion for pie, this spiced pear pie is punctuated by toasted walnuts and creamy, piquant bits of gorgonzola dolce. —Beth Kirby | {local milk}
Ingredients
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1
recipe of your favorite pie crust for a double crust pie
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1/2 cup
walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
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5
firm pears, peeled, cored, and sliced thin (about 1/8")
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1/4 cup
fresh squeezed lemon juice
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1 to 2 teaspoons
orange blossom water (optional)
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1/2 cup
sugar
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1/4 cup
dark brown sugar
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3/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
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Pinch of cayenne pepper
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1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
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1 tablespoon
cornstarch
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1 to 2 ounces
gorgonzola dolce
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Turbinado or raw sugar for sprinkling
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Heavy cream for brushing
Directions
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Heat oven to 425°F
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Toss pears gently with lemon juice and orange blossom water. Taste and add of either if desired.
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Mix the sugars, salt, cayenne, cinnamon, and cornstarch in a small bowl and then toss the pears with the sugar and spice mixture.
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Roll out half your crust to fit the bottom of a 9" pie pan. Place dough in pan, trim edge to 1?, tuck under, and crimp. Fill the crust with layers of pears, sprinkling between layers with the toasted walnuts. Once the pie is filled, dot the top with gorgonzola cheese.
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Top pie with the other half of the pie crust. You can do any sort of design you like or just do a simple double crust. Brush top crust with heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
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Bake for 15 minutes at 425° F and then reduce the heat to 375° F and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling is cooked through. After the first fifteen minutes, I use a crust shield on the edges of my pie to prevent it from getting too brown or burning. You can simply place aluminum foil over the outer crust to achieve this as well.
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Cool on a rack and serve with a scoop of homemade ice cream if you like. Best shared, naturally, with friends.
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