CHOCOLATE-AND-PEAR PIE

Chocolate-and-Pear Pie image

For the brownie lovers in your life there's this chocolate-and-pear pie. It's fancied up with sliced pears and candied ginger-making it both sophisticated and seasonal in a single package. By all means, serve it à la mode-a scoop of vanilla ice cream is the perfect foil for its gooey richness.

Provided by Greg Lofts

Categories Brownie Recipes

Time 2h30m

Yield Serves 10 to 12

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg yolk (white reserved for filling)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste or extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, chopped (1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger
2 ripe but firm Bartlett pears (14 ounces)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Steps:

For the Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl (or in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), whisk together butter, egg yolk, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Stir in flour to combine, then knead mixture with your hands a few times to form a soft, pliable dough.
Press dough evenly into bottom and up sides of a standard 9-inch pie dish. Refrigerate until firm, at least 20 minutes or, covered, up to 1 day.
For the Filling: In a large bowl (or mixer fitted with paddle attachment), whisk together butter, 3/4 cup sugar, eggs and egg white, vanilla, salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and cocoa until thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in flour just to combine, then chocolate and ginger.
Peel, halve, and core pears, then immediately toss in a bowl with lemon juice (to prevent browning). With flat sides facing down, slice pears lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices, and fan out slices slightly (like a hand of playing cards) but do not separate. Arrange slices from one half of the pear in a single layer on the bottom of the chilled crust.
Pour brownie batter into crust, smoothing top with an offset spatula. Arrange remaining sliced-and-fanned pear halves on top of batter. Drizzle with remaining lemon juice from bowl (you should have about 2 teaspoons).
Stir together remaining 2 teaspoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over pears. Bake until pie is puffed and set along edges but still slightly wobbly in center, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack until no longer hot, about 30 minutes. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature, with ice cream.