Time: 4 hours.
Complexity: average
Servings: 8

The aroma of spicy cinnamon, caramel, and tart bourbon perfectly complement the pear filling of this delicious star pie, which will be a stunning addition to your New Year's or Christmas table. For the filling, simmer the pears separately with spices and alcohol, then arrange them in a pie pan lined with pastry. Cut out stars of varying sizes from the pastry, sprinkle with golden sugar, and spread them over the filling. When the pie is ready, its star-shaped surface will not only have a deliciously crunchy candied crust but will also sparkle beautifully in the light of holiday lights.

Ingredients:

Pie

• 2.5 cups premium flour + extra for work
• 4 teaspoons of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 200 g cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons cold water
• Special equipment: star-shaped cookie cutters measuring 4cm, 5cm and 9cm.

Pears

• 6 Bere Bosc pears (about 1.3 kg), ripe but not soft
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 tbsp. bourbon + 2 tbsp. l.
• 2 tbsp (30 g) butter
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Golden decorative sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Substituting ingredients
Measuring containers used

1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Recipes with similar ingredients

pears, premium flour, eggs, cinnamon

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Preparation:

Step 1
• PieIn a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg mixture and knead with a fork until the dough is moist and crumbly. Knead the dough a few times with your hands until it comes together. If the dough is dry, add up to 1 tablespoon of cold water. Form the dough into 2 disks, approximately 300 g each, then wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 2
• PearsMeanwhile, peel, core, and halve the pears. Cut each half into 4 wedges and halve the wedges crosswise. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, salt, and 1/4 cup bourbon. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the pears, and return to the stovetop to cook until the sugar dissolves and the pears begin to simmer, about 2 minutes. Cover the skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pears are tender when pierced with a knife, 3 to 6 minutes. Drain the pears in a colander set over a bowl to catch the juices. Pour the juices back into the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until caramelized and thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour the syrup over the pears and refrigerate.
Step 3
• Preheat oven to 190°C. Place an inverted baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 4
• On a lightly floured surface, roll each disk of dough into a 12-inch (30-cm) circle. Place one circle in a 9-inch (22-cm) pie pan and trim the edges so that only 0.5-inch (1-cm) of dough hangs over the sides. Brush the edges with beaten egg. Fold the edge of the dough under and press it against the sides of the pan. From the second circle of dough, use 1.5-inch (4-cm), 2-inch (5-cm), and 3.5-inch (9-cm) star-shaped cookie cutters to cut out stars and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the stars with beaten egg. Sprinkle a few stars with golden decorative sugar. Place the stars and the pan with the dough in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Step 5
• Stir cornstarch and the remaining 2 tablespoons of bourbon, if using, into the cooled pear filling and spoon the filling into the pie dish. Arrange the stars on the surface of the filling, overlapping some of them and leaving most of the filling covered with dough and slightly visible through the holes. Place the pie on another baking sheet.
Step 6
• Bake the pie on an inverted baking sheet until the crust is light golden brown, the pears are tender, and the filling is bubbling, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes (if the top of the pie is browning too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil). Let the pie cool for 1 hour before serving.
  
  
  Note
  
  When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level the surface. Scooping flour directly from the bag with a measuring cup compacts it, resulting in dry baked goods..

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