Fresh Pear Pie Filling in Pistachio Pie Crust

Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love. 

This recipe for Pear Pie Filling in Pistachio Crust came from my podcast guest, Eva Kosmas Flores. Make sure you listen to her episode Looking For Lessons while you make her Pear Pie with Pistachio Crust recipe!   

My podcast guest and creator of this recipe, Eva Kosmos Flores, is a 2-time cookbook author, advocate of seasonal living, a gardener, and a food photography educator.

She'll freely admit that this is not a quick, low-effort, or easy pear pie recipe. This pie is a delightfully complex combination of layers and textures - a flaky crust studded with pistachios, a substantial layer of sweetened pistachios, and soft, melt-in-your-mouth pears - all warmly spiced with fragrant cardamom and cinnamon.

P.S. Looking for more fall recipes? Check out my recipe round-up posts International Harvest Celebrations Around the World, and 17 International Recipes for a Non-Traditional Thanksgiving!

Eva's Memories of Pear and Pistachio Pie

I think the pistachio is one of the most under-utilized nuts in cooking, if I’m being honest. When you puree pistachios into a paste, it frees up the oils in the nut, and there’s something almost floral that comes out of it. But the pistachio doesn’t give itself away willy nilly. No, no. It makes you work for it. By shelling each little nut, one at a time. Of course, you can buy them already shelled, but it will cost you quite a bit more. And besides, I recommend buying pistachios shell-on anyway since the shell helps protect them and keeps them at optimum freshness longer. Plus, I feel like I always appreciate something more when I’ve had to work for it.

Top Tips

• Make sure to take the time to chill your dough whenever the recipe indicates to put the dough in the fridge or freezer. Otherwise, your crust will be soggy.
• Don't over-develop the gluten in the dough when mixing the flour mixture. Only use your hands instead of machinery! The dough should hold together when pinched but still look shaggy and not smooth.
• Also, take care to only add one tablespoon of water at a time so you aren't overdeveloping the gluten in your unbaked pie crust.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Unsalted Butter
• Ripe Pears (see the section below "Choosing the Right Pears")
• Ground Cinnamon
• Ground Cardamom
• Granulated Sugar (can substitute with brown sugar for the filling if you want a more caramel-y, rich flavor)
• Salt
• Raw, Shelled Pistachios
• Egg
• Vanilla Extract
• All-Purpose Flour (I used King Arthur Baking Company)
• Ice Water
• Milk
• Salt

Instructions

Cardamom Stewed Pear Filling

• Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the pear slices and seasonings. Stir to combine. Reduce heat, and cook until the pears have softened. Set aside to cool completely.

Pistachio Filling

• Coarsely chop the pistachios. Add the egg, sugar, butter, cardamom, vanilla, and salt and puree until a thick puree forms. Set aside.

Pistachio Crust

• Grease a pie dish and set it aside. Finely chop the pistachios. Set aside.
• Mix together the dry ingredients and chopped pistachios until combined. 
• Grate the butter into the bowl. Make sure all the butter is covered with the flour mixture. Pinch the mixture together with your fingertips. Add a tablespoon of water at a time until the dough just holds together.
• Divide dough into two portions, one larger than the other. Shape the smaller portion into a circle shape, cover it, and place it in the refrigerator. Roll out the larger one and press it into the pie pan. Fold the overhang under. Cover and place in the refrigerator.
• Roll out the smaller one, and cut decorative shapes for the top pie crust. Cover and set aside.

Pear Filling + Assembly

• Cut the pear vertically into the thinnest slices you possibly can.
• Take the pie plate out of the refrigerator, evenly spread the pistachio paste, then place the stewed pears on top of the crust. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the pears. Place the thinly sliced pears on top and fan them out so they cover the top of the stewed pears.
• Brush the exposed crust with the egg wash. Transfer the decorative top crust onto the pie, and seal the top and bottom together. Brush the top with the egg wash, cover, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• In a preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until the center crust is lightly golden brown, covering the edges if needed.
• Cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving, and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you choose!

Choosing the Right Pears

Think of this filling as you would an apple pie filling; everyone has their favorite apples they like to add to their pies, same with this classic pear pie. Experiment with different types of pears! Juicy pears, tender pears, or even those extra pears lying around can all create a delicious pie. Below I have added a quick guide to help when choosing the kind of pears to put in your pie.

Bosc pears

• Deep brown with a slightly rough peel
• It is a juicy and firm pear 
• Some of the best pears for poaching or baking

Bartlett pears

• Green to yellow
• Have a buttery texture
• Often used in canning

Anjou pears

• Can be green or red
• The fresh pears are slightly sweet with a subtle lemony flavor
• Good for poaching, baking, and roasted

Comice pears

•  They have light green skin with a blush of pinkish-red
• One of the sweetest varieties
• Often called "the Christmas pear" because they are often gifted

source: Blue Apron

Equipment

• Medium saucepan
• Blender OR food processor
• Large bowl
• Box grater
• Rolling pin
• Pie Pan (9-inch pie dish)
• Baking sheet
• Aluminum foil
• Pastry brush (optional)
• Mandoline (optional)
• Pastry cutter OR cookie cutters (optional)

Storage

• Loosely cover with aluminum foil once completely cooled. Store at room temperature for 2 days or up to 7 days in the fridge.
• If you want to freeze your pie, make sure you store it in a metal or ceramic pan, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and place it in a freezer bag or aluminum foil.

source: The Kitchn

More North American Recipes

More Thanksgiving Recipes

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Recipe

Pear Pistachio Pie Recipe

Pear and Pistachio Pie features a flaky crust studded with pistachios, a layer of sweet pistachio puree, and two layers of soft, melt-in-your-mouth pears - all warmly spiced with fragrant cardamom and cinnamon.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 3 hours hrs

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 4 hours hrs

Course Baking, Christmas

Cuisine Global

Servings 12 servings

Calories 517 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Cardamom Stewed Pear Filling

• 1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
• 2 pounds Pears ripe, peeled, cored, and chopped into roughly 3/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt

Pistachio Filling

• 1 1/4 cups Pistachios shelled and raw
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter softened
• 3/4 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Pistachio Crust

• 1/4 cup Pistachios raw and shelled
• 3 cups All-Purpose Flour King Arthur Baking Company
• 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon Salt
• 3/4 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
• 8 ounces Unsalted Butter cold and hard
• 10 to 14 tablespoons Ice Water

Sliced Pear Filling

• 1 large Pear ripe and peeled
• 3 tablespoons Flour
• 2 tablespoons Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

Egg Wash

• 1 Egg
• 1 teaspoon Milk

Instructions

 

Cue Up The Episode!

• Make sure to listen to Eva on The Storied Recipe Podcast, Eva Kosmas Flores on Looking for Lessons while you make her Pear and Pistachio recipe!

Make The Recipe

Cardamom Stewed Pear Filling

• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the pears and seasonings and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook the mixture until the moisture is released and the pears have softened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

Pistachio Filling

• Pulse the pistachios in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add the egg, sugar, butter, cardamom, vanilla, and salt and puree until a thick puree forms, similar to grainy hummus in consistency. Set aside.

Pistachio Crust

• Grease a 9-inch pie pan and set it aside. Pulse the pistachios in a blender or food processor until finely chopped, but *not* a paste. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, cardamom and chopped pistachios until combined. Using a box grater, grate the butter using the large hole setting of the grater above the bowl, stopping to stir 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.
• 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 1/4-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.
• Roll out the smaller quantity of dough until it is 1/4-inch thick, and use cookie cutters, pie cutters, or a pie top pastry cutter to cut decorative shapes out of the top of the pie, taking care to keep the cut-outs in the center of the pie crust, and not along the edges. Cover and set aside for a moment.

Sliced Pear Filling + Assembly

• Cut the stem off the pear. Using a *very* sharp knife, cut the pear vertically into the thinnest slices you possibly can (this can be made easier if you have a mandoline and cut the pear vertically in half, and then start cutting off the cut side on the mandoline to get very thin slices).
• Now you can start assembling the pie. Take the pie pan out of the refrigerator and uncover it. Spread the pistachio paste in an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Distribute the stewed pears in an even layer on top of the pistachios. Sprinkle the flour, sugar, and cinnamon evenly over the stewed pears. Place the thinly sliced pears on top of that, fanning the individual slices out in a circle so they overlap slightly and cover the top of the stewed pears.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the milk. Lightly brush the exposed crust on the pan with the egg wash. Now transfer the decorative top crust onto the pie, and press together on the edges of the top and bottom crusts to secure them together (if you’re using an un-ruffled pie dish, you can pinch the edges for a more decorative look). Brush the exposed crust with the egg wash, cover, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• 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 or a pie crust sheild if needed to keep them from over-browning (the crust edges will brown faster than the center crust). Allow to cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Make sure to listen to Eva on The Storied Recipe Podcast, Eva Kosmas Flores on Looking for Lessons while you make her Pear and Pistachio recipe!

Nutrition

Calories: 517kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 8gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 284mgPotassium: 322mgFiber: 6gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 781IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 3mg

Keyword Christmas desserts, Holiday Recipes, Pear and Pistachio Pie, Pies, Thanksgiving

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