Pear Custard Pie

A few years ago someone gifted us Harry & David pears and we've been hooked ever since. Now we just buy them for ourselves and gorge on the sweet perfection. The problem is that they all seem to ripen at the same time and a person can only eat so many pears. 

Enter the Pear Custard Pie. I did a quick search for easy pear desserts and this is the second one that came up. I wanted something I could throw together quickly and this certainly fit the bill. The hardest, most time-consuming part is peeling the pears. The batter is made in a blender and then you bake it.

 

We loved this so much that I made a second cake the next day. Steve and Katie have decided that every year we'll use 8 pears to make two cakes and eat the remaining 2 pears for breakfast. Sounds good to me.

The flavor of the pear really shines so be sure to use good quality pears (like the ones from Harry & David).

Pear Custard Pie
As seen on Dinner at the Zoo

Cooking spray
4 firm pears peeled, cored and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a 9 inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Arrange the pear slices in the pan.

Put the butter, eggs, milk, salt, granulated sugar, flour and vanilla into a blender; process until smooth.
Pour the batter over the pears. 

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the custard is golden and firm to the touch. Cool slightly and dust the top with powdered sugar before serving.

Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 3 days, but be sure to reheat the slices for about 20-30 seconds in the microwave to take the chill off.