Fall Pear Pie

A double-crust pear pie that lets the fruit do the talking. Eight cups of thinly sliced fresh pears get tossed with sugar, a whisper of nutmeg, and quick-cooking tapioca, then baked under a golden egg-washed top crust until the pears are tender and the filling has thickened into a glossy, spoonable sauce.

Tapioca is the thickener of choice here, and it’s the right call for pears. Pears release a lot of liquid as they bake, and tapioca absorbs it without turning the filling cloudy or starchy the way flour can. The result is a clear, glistening filling that holds its shape when you cut a slice.

The optional cream poured through the slits after baking is an old-fashioned finishing touch. It seeps down through the hot filling and creates little rivers of richness between the pear slices.

Kitchen Tips

• Use firm-ripe pears, not soft ones. Overripe pears dissolve into mush during the long bake.
• Slice the pears thinly and uniformly so they cook evenly and stack neatly in the crust.
• Cut large slits in the top crust, not just small pricks. Pears release a lot of steam and the crust needs room to vent.
• Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing so the tapioca sets.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or cardamom alongside the nutmeg for a warmer spice blend.
• Toss a handful of dried cranberries into the filling for tart pops of color.
• Use a crumble topping instead of the top crust for a pear crumble-pie hybrid.