Winter is starting to get on my nerves, a rather peculiar statement from someone who survived twenty years in New Hampshire and now resides in the moderate climes of coastal North Carolina, but there you have it. A few extra decades can turn a fellow into a real sissy.
It just goes to show you that cabin fever is not unlike annoying political advertising in an election year: almost impossible to avoid no matter where you live. And it can make a fellow a little cranky.
Maybe you can relate. If so, I’ve got a couple of things that’ll cheer you up and put a smile on your face, one further on down and this one here: Maple Glazed Pear Pie.
That’s correct – all pears, with an aromatic punch of five spice powder for good measure. Perhaps it’s not the first pie that comes to mind from the author of a book about apple pie. But for lack of a better excuse I just love the flavor of pears, always have since my mom would break out jumbo cans of syrupy sweet ones for dessert. (There were nine of us at the dinner table; jumbo cans of stuff were commonplace at mealtime.)
A slice of this might not cure your cabin fever altogether, but it will relieve the symptoms for quite some time. (If symptoms persist, wait 4 hours and take another slice.)
Even without it this pie is a triumph, but apply the maple glaze and it teeters on the sublime. (My affection for pure maple syrup is well documented here.) The glaze also seems to help preserve the flaky texture of the top crust, perhaps because the glaze seals it off from ambient moisture and premature softening. But I’m only guessing.
Either way, there’s a good bit of glaze here, and you might not need all of it for the pie. No problem. Just seal up any leftovers in a jar or other container and refrigerate until you need it. Reheat gently, then drizzle on muffins, waffles, biscuits, or what have you. Enjoy.
You’re Going to Love These Special New Pie Boxes
I have no hard proof to back this up, only anecdotal evidence, but it’s apparent many bakers in our Pie Academy community are ardent pie gift givers.
I say this because more than any other item in our store, we’ve sold quite a few pie boxes this past year. Sure, it helped that we got (unsolicited) plugs for our pie boxes from Southern Living magazine and Candy Spelling’s blog. But those were intermittent bumps among a steady flow of boxes out the door.
Now we’re pleased to introduce a new box to our members, one we’re very excited about. We call it the Autumn Scene box, but we think it’s the perfect pie box for any season.
Like our other 10- by 10-inch box, it’s large enough – 2 1/2 inches deep – to hold your most generous pies. It has a clear cellophane window with a heart-warming die-cut autumn scene. (Please note: the image at the bottom of the box is a shadow of the die-cut; it’s not printed on the box.)
It’s perfect just the way it is. But consider the fun that you, or your children or grandchildren will have turning these boxes into a special craft projects – adding stickers, cutouts, beads, or what have you – to personalize your gift of pie. Here are some examples below. No doubt you can think of your own creative ways to dress these boxes up for special occasions like baby or wedding showers, tailgate parties, birthdays, family reunions, and get well wishes.
You’ll find the new boxes here in our store, along with several other popular ones our customers just adore. Have fun browsing.
PASTRY NOTES: You can use your favorite double-crust pie recipe here. The one I like and recommend for this pie is the Double Crust Shortening Pie Dough. You can find that recipe by clicking here, then scrolling down to the bottom of the post.
Ingredients
- Double Crust Shortening Pie Dough (the link is located just above this recipe)
- 6 cups peeled, cored, and sliced ripe pears
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon five spice powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for glaze
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- If you haven’t already, prepare the pie dough, then wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours before rolling.
- On a sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll the larger half of dough into a 13- to 13 1/2-inch circle. Invert the pastry over a 9- or 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan, center it, then peel off the paper. Gently tuck the pastry into the pan without stretching it, letting the edge of the pastry drape over the sides of the pan. Loosely cover the pie shell with plastic wrap. Refrigerate.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the pears in a large bowl. Mix the sugar, cornstarch, five spice powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add to the pears and mix well. Stir in the lemon juice and fresh ginger.
- Turn the filling into the pie shell and smooth it out evenly. Moisten the edge of the pie shell with a wet fingertip or pastry brush. Set aside.
- Roll the other half of dough into a 10-inch circle and drape it over the filling. Press the edge of the pastry, to seal. Using a paring knife, trim the excess dough flush with the edge of the pan. Crimp the edge with a fork. (Alternatively, you can press the pastry edges together with your fingers and trim the crust with scissors, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Pinch the overhang into an upstanding ridge, then flute or scallop the dough by hand.) Using a paring knife, poke the top pastry several times and make steam vents. Twist the knife slightly to enlarge the holes; this will help you see the juices later in the baking and determine if the pie is done. Lightly brush the top pastry with the glaze.
- Bake the pie for about 50 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden brown and you can see thick juice bubbling up through the steam vents. It’s important that the juices boil so the cornstarch thickens the pie properly. (If you’re in doubt, give it a little more time.) Transfer the pie to a rack and cool thoroughly before applying the glaze.
- To make the glaze, combine the butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan. Heat gently until the butter melts, then whisk in the confectioners' sugar until the glaze is smooth; it could take a bit of whisking. Allow the glaze to cool for just a minute or so, whisking from time to time to smooth. Put the pie on a sheet of parchment or foil, then drizzle the glaze liberally over the pie. The glaze will harden as it smooths. Makes 8 servings.
