Celebrate the flavors of the season with this luscious Browned Butter Pear Pie, made with Plugrà® Premium European Style Unsalted Butter for rich flavor and perfect texture. Tender slices of caramelized pears are layered between flaky, golden crusts crafted from a browned butter dough that adds nutty depth to every bite. Whether served warm with a scoop of ice cream or enjoyed at room temperature, this pie is an elegant yet comforting dessert that highlights the beauty of simple ingredients done exceptionally well.
Browned Butter Pear Pie
Makes 1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie
Ingredients
Browned Butter Pear Pie Filling
- Makes 1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie
- ¼ cup (57 grams) Plugrà® Premium European Style Unsalted Butter
- 3 pounds (1,362 grams) Anjou, Bosc, or other firm pears, peeled, halved, cored, and sliced ¼ inch thick
- ½ cup (110 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (24 grams) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) fresh lemon juice
- Browned Butter Pie Dough (recipe follows)
- 1 large egg (50 grams)
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water
Browned Butter Pie Dough
- 1¼ cups (284 grams) Plugrà® Premium European Style Unsalted Butter
- 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (6 grams) kosher salt
- ½ cup (120 grams) ice water, plus more as needed
Instructions
Browned Butter Pear Pie Filling
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter begins to brown and smells nutty and fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pears until well coated.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
- Return skillet to medium-low heat, and stir in sugar mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until pears are fork-tender and liquid is thick and translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large heatproof bowl; stir in lemon juice. Let cool completely.
- Let Browned Butter Pie Dough stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough into a 12-inch circle (about ⅛ inch thick). Transfer to a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan, pressing into bottom and up sides. Spread cooled pear mixture evenly into prepared crust.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll remaining dough into a 12-inch circle (about ⅛ inch thick). Carefully place dough on top of pear mixture. Firmly press edges of top and bottom doughs together. Trim excess dough to ½ inch beyond edge of pan. Fold dough edges under, and crimp as desired. Freeze for 15 minutes.
- Position oven rack in bottom third of oven. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water; lightly brush on pie, avoiding crimped edges. Using a sharp knife, cut 4 slits in top crust to vent. Sprinkle granulated sugar on top of pie.
- Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack before serving. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Browned Butter Pie Dough
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter begins to brown and smells nutty and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour into a shallow heatproof dish, including all browned bits. Freeze until butter is cold and solid.
- In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse flour and salt until combined. Add cold butter, and pulse until mixture is crumbly and butter is pea-size. With processor running, add ½ cup (120 grams) ice water in a slow, steady stream just until dough comes together. (Mixture may appear crumbly but should be moist and hold together when pinched.) Add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed.
- Turn out dough, and divide in half. Shape each portion into a disk, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Let frozen dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Excellent filling