Recipe: Rachel's Rustic Pear Custard Pie
Category: Original

We've seen quite a few apple pies in this Bakeoff, but no pear pies so far - until now. Rachel submitted an easy, flexible custard-filled pie with pears. This looks so good - the creaminess of custard, and the smooth, warm texture of pears mixed with just a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Where is this recipe from? The filling was adapted from Mama's Peach Custard Pie recipe, published in the Washington Post in August 2007. The crust is No Roll Pie Crust II from Allrecipes.com.

Why is this the BEST pie recipe you've got? This pie is both a fruit and a custard filled pie - the best of both worlds! Fruit mingled with cinnamon and suspended in creamy custard create the perfect combination for a delicious pie filling. This pie can be used as either a summer or a fall recipe depending on which fruit is used for the filling.

Rachel's Rustic Pear Custard Pie

Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons milk

Filling:
3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
5 tablespoons flour, divided
1 or 2 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch nutmeg

For the crust:
In a medium bowl, sift the flour, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in oil and milk. Mix with a fork, then press into bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate.

For the filling:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of the flour. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the bottom of the unbaked pie crust. Arrange the pear slices in a radiating pattern on the bottom of the crust being careful not to overfill the pie - there should be plenty of room for the custard mixture.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla extract, then pour it over the peach slices. To prevent the edges from burning, do not overfill the pie.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the pie.

Bake the pie for 45 minutes at 425 degrees or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

(Images: Rachel)