Pear Pie

before

after

Got 1/2 case of pears from work today. Thought I might do some canning, but decided I just didn't feel like it. The weather here in Utah has been overcast, cold, and rainy, literally draining the energy from me :)

I finally decided on making a pear pie, which is something I have never made before. This recipe is from allrecipes.com, with a few minor changes. For the crust, I used the Donna-Jo's Dream Pastry recipe, from Betty Hagmans book,"More From the Gluten-Free Gourmet

Crust Recipe:
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup potato starch flour
1 rounded tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
dash sugar optional
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup butter flavored crisco
1 egg cold
1 TbSP. GF vinegar
sweet rice flour for rolling

Blend together the flours, xanthan gum, salt, and sugar. Cut in the margarine and Crisco in small dabs until you have shortening the size of lima beans (not cornmeal).
Beat the egg using a fork; add the vinegar and ice water. Stir into the flour mixture, forming a ball. You may knead this a bit, since rice flour crusts can stand handling. Refrigerate the dough for an hour or more to chill. Roll out, or pat into pie pan. Make sure you dock the crust with a fork, before adding filling.

Creamy Pear Pie:
1/3 cup white sugar
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups peeled and sliced pears
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 (9 inch) unbaked GF pie shell

TOPPING:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2.In a large bowl, stir together the white sugar and 2 tablespoons flour. Add pears lemon juice, and toss to coat. Stir in the sour cream and vanilla, until the pears are evenly coated. Pour into the unbaked pie shell.
3.In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup flour and brown sugar. Mix in the butter with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the pie.
4.Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for an additional 45 minutes, or until pears are tender, and crust is browned.

Serve with whipped cream, or ice cream! ENJOY!