Pastries Recipes - Pear Cream Pie Recipe

Ingredients

SERVES 8

For the short crust pastry:

• 300g/11 oz plain flour

• Pinch of salt

• 175g/6oz butter (cubed)

• 50ml/2fl oz iced water

For the filling:

• 700g/1 1/2lb pears (peeled, cored and sliced)

• 100g/4oz sugar

• 500ml/18fl oz double cream

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1 egg yolk (lightly beaten)

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Method:

1. To make the short crust pastry, sift the flour and the salt together into a large mixing bowl. Add the cubes of butter.

2. Rub the butter and flour together with your fingertips until the mixture has a coarse texture. Stirring lightly with a knife, sprinkle water over the dough until it just begins to cohere.

3. Gather the dough together into a ball, pressing it together with your hands. Wrap in Clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3mm/1/8in and use two-thirds of it to line a 23cm/9in pie dish.

5. Mix the pear slices with the sugar and cream and add the pepper. Fill the pie with this mixture and cover with the remaining dough.

6. Glaze with the egg yolk and cut a small hole in the top so the steam can escape during cooking.

7. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes, or until the top is browned.