I developed this recipe for pear custard pie when I had two beautiful Korean pears and half a package of thawed filo dough staring me in the face. I thought a sweet riff on Serbian burek would be just the ticket, and it was.
Here's a larger photo of pear custard pie
Makes 6 to 8 servings of Pear Custard Pie
Here's a larger photo of pear custard pie
Makes 6 to 8 servings of Pear Custard Pie
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 5 large eggs
- 8 sheets thawed filo dough
- 4 ounces (1 stick) melted butter
- 1 1/2 pounds pears, peeled, cored, coarsely grated and drained
- Caramel sauce for garnish (optional)
Preparation:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, ginger, flour, zest and eggs, until light in color.
- Lightly brush a 10-inch springform pan with melted butter. Lightly brush one side of 1 sheet of filo dough with melted butter. Fold sheet in half and lightly brush the top of the folded sheet with butter. Fit into pan (don't worry if it doesn't cover all the bare surfaces of the pan). Repeat with another sheet of filo dough and place it in the pan crosswise. Continue this way two more times, crisscrossing the layers.
- Place pan on a baking sheet. Spread drained pears in the pan, patting out evenly. Pour egg mixture over pears. Then, create a top for the pie the same way the base was created. Brush the edges of excess filo dough with butter and roll them in toward the center of the pie. Brush entire surface of pie with remaining melted butter. Bake about 45 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.
- Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter of the pan and remove the springform pan ring and let pie cool completely. Remove springform bottom and transfer to a serving platter, or cut into wedges and place on dessert plates. Drizzle with caramel sauce, if desired. Pear custard pie can be served at room temperature or warmed in a conventional oven.
