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.

Buttermilk Pie

Whenever I buy a quart of buttermilk to make my homemade chicken nuggets, I end up with quite a lot leftover. I've heard about powdered buttermilk, but I've never seen it in our supermarket. I've also tried a homemade version using milk and lemon juice, but I didn't think it tasted the same. I have an amazing recipe for IHOP pancakes that uses buttermilk, so we usually have pancakes a few weekends in a row. But this time I wanted to try something different, especially after my friend, Kylee, posted this recipe for Buttermilk Pie.



From what I understand, this is a Southern staple, which means I'd never heard of it before Kylee posted the recipe. I went into this with zero expectations, just excited to try something new.



The recipe couldn't be easier - you just mix all the ingredients together and pour into a pie crust. This actually makes two pies, so it's perfect for a family get together or to bring into the office. We gave the second one away to a friend and he said the pie was gone the next morning.

The consistency is almost like a custard, but denser. It's impossible to describe - there's a hint of vanilla, a slight tang from the buttermilk and a mellow sweetness. I chose a ready-made shortbread pie crust because I didn't want to futz with making my own crust, but next time I might try to find a traditional pie crust instead. I did over bake my pies (the tops are very brown) so make sure you start with 50 minutes and check it often.

Buttermilk Pie
As seen on Kylee Cooks

6 eggs, beaten
1 cup low fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 unbaked 9-inch pie crusts

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla together with a hand mixer for about 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt and melted butter. Mix until well combined. Add the sugar mixture to the eggs and stir together, using a wooden spoon, until just combined.

Put the pie crusts (in pie plates) onto a large baking sheet. Divide the filling between the two crusts.

Bake for 50-55 minutes. You want the filling to be loose/wobbly (kind of like a thick custard) when you tap it, but not runny and the top to be lightly browned.

Let the pies cool completely. Serve at room temperature.