Asian Pear & Apple Pie
Asian Pear & Apple Pie
Servings: 8 Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (20 minutes prep, 1 hour bake, plus cooling)
Ingredients
1 double pie crust (9-inch), store-bought or homemade, chilled
3 medium Asian pears (Bosc or Hosui), about 1 pound, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch
3 medium apples (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or a mix), about 1 pound, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon flour) — for thickening
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)
Turbinado or coarse sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
Preheat and prepare
Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven to heat (this helps the bottom crust bake crisp).
Make the filling
In a large bowl, combine the sliced Asian pears and apples.
Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, flour (or flour + cornstarch), cinnamon, ginger, cardamom (if using), and salt. Toss gently until the fruit is evenly coated.
Stir in vanilla extract.
Assemble the pie
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of chilled pie dough to fit a 9-inch pie pan with a 1-inch overhang. Transfer dough to the pan and trim excess leaving the overhang.
Pile the fruit mixture into the crust, mounding slightly in the center. Dot the top with pieces of the 2 tablespoons butter.
Roll out the second dough disc for a top crust. Use a lattice, full cover with vent slits, or a decorative cut-out top according to preference. If using a full top crust, cut several slits for steam to escape.
Trim and crimp the edges to seal. Brush the top with the egg wash and sprinkle coarse sugar if desired.
Bake
Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet and put it in the oven.
Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 35–45 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. If the edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil or a pie shield.
Cool and serve
Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack at least 2 hours so the filling sets.
Serve at room temperature or slightly warm. Pairs well with vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Tips
Choose firm, slightly tart apples to balance the floral sweetness of Asian pears.
If the pears are very juicy, use 1 1/2 tablespoons of thickener (cornstarch or a mix) to prevent a runny filling.
Make-ahead: Assemble the pie and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking, or freeze unbaked (wrapped) for up to 1 month. If frozen, bake from frozen, adding about 15–25 minutes to the total bake time and covering edges if they brown.
For a glaze: Brush the warm top crust with a thin brush of apricot jam thinned with a little water for added shine.
