17 oz. Bartlett pears
1/4 cup whole almonds
30 pecan halves
30 whole hazelnuts
1/4 cup whole pistachios
1/4 cup dried currants
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 scant cup suprefine sugar
3 1/2 T salted butter
2 vanilla beans
2/3 cup acacia honey
3 T pear brandy
[how to make]
*Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
*Peel pears, core them, and cut them into quarters. Set aside.
*Toast the nuts in the oven for 5 minutes.
*In a pan, heat the sugar dry over high heat, stirring it occasionally as it begins to caramelize.
*When it is golden brown, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the salted butter.
*Stir well to combine.
*Split the vanilla beans in half lengthwise and add them to the pan.
*Add the pear pieces and caramelize them for 5 minutes, making honey and pear brandy to this mixture. Set aside to cool.
*Pour this mixture into an oval terracotta dish.
*Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
*On a floured work surface, roll the puff pastry dough into a very thin oval less then 1/16" thick with a rolling pin.
*Use a pastry brush to brush some of the egg yolk onto the edges of the pastry.
*Place the pastry onto the dish, egg side down, and pinch the edges to seal.
*Chill for 30 minutes.
*Remove the pie from the refrigerator and apply the rest of the egg wash to the puff pastry.
*Use a fork to create a design on top of the pastry.
*Chill for 30 minutes, then bake for 40 minutes.
*Serve immediately.
Note: I adapted the recipe from "Tarts" by Frederic Anton & Christelle Brua.
Labels: nut pie recipe, pear pie recipe, pie recipe