Description
Spiced caramel sauce elevates this classic Dutch pear pie into a culinary masterpiece of comfort and elegance. Warm autumn flavors dance across your palate, inviting you to savor each delectable bite of homemade pastry and sweet fruit perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
Pie Filling:
- 2.5 pounds firm-ripe pears
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 7 cups pear slices (1/4-inch thick)
Crust and Topping:
- 1/2 recipe basic pie dough
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter
Spices and Flavor Enhancers:
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon pear brandy
Caramel Sauce:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons pear brandy
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 pinch ground allspice
Instructions
- Prepare the pie crust by rolling the dough into a 13-inch circle on a floured surface, fitting it into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim excess dough, fold edges under, and crimp decoratively.
- Freeze the prepared crust for 20 minutes at 0°F to maintain its shape during baking.
- Create the crumble topping by combining flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt. Incorporate cold butter using fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Refrigerate the crumble topping until needed.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil to catch potential drips.
- Whisk together granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl.
- Add sliced pears, lemon juice, and pear brandy to the sugar mixture, gently tossing to coat evenly.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, positioning the rack in the lowest position.
- Transfer the pear filling into the chilled pie crust, ensuring even distribution.
- Sprinkle the chilled crumble topping over the filling, breaking into clumps for textural variation.
- Place the pie on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking for 30-35 minutes until the topping turns golden and filling bubbles thickly.
- Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the spiced caramel sauce, combine heavy cream and light brown sugar in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and incorporate pear brandy, butter, vanilla extract, salt, and spices.
- Stir until the sauce becomes smooth and well-combined.
- Slice the cooled pie and drizzle with warm spiced caramel sauce before serving.
Notes
- Chill the pie crust thoroughly to prevent shrinkage and maintain a crisp, flaky texture during baking.
- Use ripe but firm pears like Bosc or Anjou for the best structural integrity and flavor balance in the filling.
- Adjust the spice levels in the caramel sauce to suit personal taste preferences, adding more or less of each spice as desired.
- Consider serving the pie with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to complement the warm, spiced caramel sauce and enhance the overall dessert experience.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dutch
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 321 kcal
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 137 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 43 mg