Maple Miso Pear Pie
This maple miso pear pie is filled with pears cooked in a maple and miso-based caramel sauce, with a delicous cinnamon and nutmeg crust.
Ingredients
Maple Miso Pear Filling
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup heavy cream room temperature
- 3 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons light or white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 1/2 pounds pears peeled and cored and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pie Crust
- 1 egg cold
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 6 to 7 tablespoons ice water
- 3 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 pinch cream of tartar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon milk
Instructions
Maple Miso Pear Filling
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In a small thick-bottomed saucepan mix together the water and the granulated sugar until well blended. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat and continue boiling until the mixture turns a light caramel color, only stirring once every four minutes. This took me about eight minutes, but the speed will depend upon the heat of your stovetop.
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Remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in the maple syrup, heavy cream, and butter until incorporated. Be careful as the mixture will spit and hiss a bit. If the sugar begins to clump up when you’re stirring do not fret, just stir as best as you can for about 30 seconds and then put the pot back on the heat and bring it back to a boil again over medium-low heat. Once it is boiling again stir until the sugar chunk dissolves and the mixture is smooth. Once it smoothes out, stir it every two minutes and allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Remove from the stovetop and stir in the miso paste until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
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Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the pear slices and sprinkle with the cinnamon and cardamom. Reduce heat to medium and cook the pears until they release their juices and half of the liquid evaporates from the pan, for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes or so (this helps keep the pie crust from getting soggy later when it bakes). The length of cooking time depends on how juicy the pears are. The juicer the pears, the more liquid, and the longer you'll need to cook them). Add the maple miso mixture, stir to combine, and simmer until thickened. Stir in the cornstarch and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Pie Crust
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Grease a 9-inch pie pan and set it aside. Whisk the egg with vinegar and 3 tablespoons of ice water and set aside. Follow instructions below, depending on if you want to make the crust by hand, or if you want to use a food processor.
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MANUAL METHOD: Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cream of tartar in a large wide bowl. Using a box grater, grate the butter using the large hole setting of the grater above the bowl, stopping to stir with a fork and coat the butter bits in the flour mixture every 10 seconds or so. When all the butter is in, pinch the mixture together with your fingertips until it resembles the texture of damp sand. Add the water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing it with a fork, until the dough just holds together when you squeeze a fistful of it in your hand.
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FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of the ice water. Set aside. Cut the butter into individual tablespoons and set aside. Place the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cream of tartar in the food processor and pulse a few times to mix together. Add the slices of butter and pulse until the butter is reduced to roughly pea-sized pieces. Run the machine while you add the egg mixture, letting it blend for 5 seconds after the liquid is added. Do NOT overmix. Add the remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing as you add it, until the dough just holds together. It shouldn't be too wet and sticky, nor should it be super crumbly.
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Divide the dough into two portions, one slightly larger than the other (about 1/3 vs 2/3). Pat the smaller portion into a rough circle shape, cover it, and place it in the refrigerator. Roll out the larger quantity of dough until it is 1/8-inch thick and transfer it to the greased pie pan. Press the crust into the pan, trim off the excess leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fold the 1-inch overhang under the edge of the crust all the way around. Cover and place the pan in the refrigerator.
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Roll out the smaller quantity of dough until it is 1/8-inch thick, and use a knife or a pizza cutter to cut lattice strips out of the dough, and any decorate shapes you might want to incorporate, like leaf-shaped cookie cutters, etc. Cover and set aside for a moment.
Assembly & Baking
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Now it's time to start assembling the pie (woohoo!) Take the pie pan out of the refrigerator and uncover it. Spread the maple miso pear filling in an even layer on the bottom of the pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the milk. Lightly brush the exposed crust on the pan with the egg wash. Now arrange the lattice strips on top of the pie. Add any other decorative cut-outs to the edges of the pie. Brush the exposed lattice and cut-outs with the egg wash, cover, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes (this will help keep the pie crust from shrinking when it bakes).
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to get the pan in and out of the oven without accidentally damaging the crust), and place it in the oven. Bake until the center crust is lightly golden, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, covering the edges with tin foil if needed to keep them from over-browning (the crust edges will brown faster than the center crust). Allow the pie to cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.