PEAR–APPLE HARD CIDER PIE
Nigel Slater describes an apple in his book Ripe as a “quick hit,” but the pear as “something to take our time over.” I would have to agree and have always been partial to pears over apples, especially when it comes to pies. Here, however, I’ve combined them; this pie is chockfull of fresh pears, and their juice is cooked down with a good splash of hard apple cider. It’s a fantastic combination, a perfect pie for crisp autumn evenings and then for breakfast the following morning. makes 6 to 8 servings
1 recipe All-Butter Pie Crust
8 cups (1,135 g) sliced Bartlett pears, ripe, but still firm (peeled, cored, and sliced into 1-inch pieces), 7 to 8 pears
1 cup (150 g) peeled and grated Gala apple, about 2 small apples
1 teaspoon lemon juice
⅓ cup (66 g) sugar plus ¼ cup (50 g) plus 1 to 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup hard apple cider (regular apple cider will work, too)
1 tablespoon (15 g) unsalted butter, cold
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Combine the pears, apple, lemon juice, ⅓ cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Let sit 30 to 45 minutes at room temperature. While the fruit is macerating, take the All-Butter Pie Crust out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Strain the sugary juice from the fruit into a medium saucepan (you should have ½ to ¾ cup of juice). Return the fruit to the large bowl.
Add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and cider to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer until reduced to a scant ½ cup, 5 to 6 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to stir. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Add the vanilla and stir gently. Set aside to cool slightly.
Sprinkle the cornstarch over the fruit and toss to coat. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and toss to combine. Pour the apple-pear juice mixture over the fruit and stir gently.
TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough into a 12-inch circle about ¼-inch thick and place it into a 9-inch pie pan. Transfer the plate in the fridge and let chill while you roll out the second piece of dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the second piece of dough into a 12-inch circle about ¼ inch thick. Set aside.
Fill the prepared pie shell with the pear mixture. It will be juicy, and if some of the filling starts to ooze over the edge, use a measuring cup to scoop out ½ cup or so, and omit it. Top with the second crust. Trim the dough overhangs to 1 inch past the lip of the pie plate. Pinch the dough together and tuck it under itself so it’s resting on the edge of the pie plate. Crimp the edges of the dough and cut at least 4 vents in the top, each about 2 inches long. Transfer the pie plate to the freezer for about 20 minutes while the oven is preheating. The crust should be nice and firm before you bake it.
Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a baking sheet on the oven rack (the preheated baking sheet helps crisp the bottom of the pie crust and catches any leaks and drips).
When ready to bake, brush the top of the pie with egg wash and sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Place the pie plate on the preheated baking sheet and bake 25 minutes. Lower the oven to 375ºF and bake 40 to 50 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the juices bubble.
Transfer the pie plate to a wire rack and let cool at least 4 hours before serving.
NOTES: Your favorite hard cider will work here. I prefer a dry hard cider (Crispin makes a tasty one) in this pie. Regular apple cider will work just fine too.