Pear and caramelized walnut pie

Pears and walnuts – again? Yes again. Don’t judge! First of all because pears and walnuts are always a great combo, so there is nothing to judge about it. Also, did I mention that I am currently moving, starting a new job and planning our wedding? No? Because I totally do. And it’s a lot of stuff to work on, I can tell ya. So a simple ole pie with things I found in my pantry is all I can master these days. And really – when was a pie ever not great? Especially when filled with sweet pears and caramelized walnuts.

Ingredients

Pie crust
300g all-purpose flour
200g butter, cold and diced roughly
1 tsp. salt
75g sugar
2-3 tbsp. ice-cold water to bind

Filling
5-6 pears
½ tsp. cinnamon
pinch of vanilla
2 tbsp. corn starch
100g walnuts
1 tbsp. butter
75g brown sugar

1 egg, for egg wash

Make the pie crust as you always do. Rub the cold and diced butter into the flour, sugar and salt mixture. Knead with the water until it comes together nicely to form a dough ball and keep cold in the fridge. Cut the pears into mediums sized pieces and mix them with the spices and corn starch in a bowl. Melt the butter and brown sugar in a pan for about 2 minutes. When melted, scatter in the walnuts, remove the pan from the heat and stir the walnuts until they are all coated in caramel. Be careful not to let them burn – place them quickly onto a plate preferably covered with baking parchment. Roll out your dough and press into the pie form. Pre-bake in a 175°C oven for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile cut stripes from the rest of the dough for your grid pattern that covers the pie. Mix the pears and the walnuts, fill the pie and cover it in a grid pattern with the dough stripes. Whisk the eggs and give the pie an egg wash. Bake for another 25 minutes!

 
Serve slightly warm with cream and reflect all the great things that you are working on right now. Remember: the best is yet to come!