Serves: 8
Ingredients:
Crust:
- 2 cups flour
- 2/3 cup butter, 1/2” cubes
- 1 tsp salt
- 5-7 tbsp chilled water (or more as needed)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp water
Filling:
- 4 pears (red Anjou or Bosc)
- 9 oz whole milk
- 1 tsp rum extract
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
Preparation:
Prepare the filling:
- In a medium sauce pot, add milk and rum extract and simmer over medium heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, flour, and cornstarch.
- Once the milk is boiling, temper the egg mixture by pouring some of the hot milk into the bowl. Whisk together until smooth. If you see lumps, strain through a fine mesh strainer.
- Combine everything in the sauce pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Watch the custard begin to thicken and keep stirring for 1 minutes once it boils. Remove from heat. Cover and seal, then refrigerate.
Prepare the Pears:
- Remove the stems, and slice lengthwise in half. Then, using a melon baller, scoop out the core center. Retain the halves for filling with custard.
Prepare the Crust:
- Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add chilled butter cubes and using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut the mixture until the butter is sandy in texture. Slowly add chilled water 1 tbsp at a time, tossing (not kneading) to combine with the mixture. Note: the dough is hydrated just right when the dough gathers loosely into a 1”-2” thick disc without excess flour falling away from the disc. Wrap it air-tight in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Unwrap the dough disc and on a lightly floured surface, roll into a large circle about 1/4” thick. Slice it into four pieces.
- Scoop the chilled custard onto the center of a dough slice (approximately 1/4-1/3 cup). Place a pear half face down on the custard. Wrap the dough around the pear and mold it as you desire to cover the pear. Optional: use any dough scraps to shape a leaf or two for each pear.
- Paint with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes.
- Serve in a basket or individually on each plate.
