Mini pear pies filled with thinly sliced pears, cardamom, saffron, cinnamon and walnuts to add some crunch.
Saffron Cardamom Pear Pot Pies:
Yields: Four 6 oz ramekins
For the filling:
- 4 medium pears, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1⁄3 cup light brown sugar (The amount of sugar depends on your preference and how sweet your pears are. The amount I used is for a pear that is not too sweet and not bland, and it will give you a moderately sweet pie. If the pears are not sweet at all, add half a cup of sugar, and if they are too sweet or you prefer a very low sweet dessert, add quarter cup of sugar.)
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cardamom (Try grinding the seeds yourself to experience the best fragrance! In that case, use 3⁄4 tsp cardamom)
- 3 tsp brewed saffron (see how to below)
- 1⁄4 cup chopped walnuts
- Pinch of salt
- granulated sugar for sprinkling
- Find the recipe for this buttery and flaky crust here, and multiply it by 2.
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk or cream
Instructions:
1. Make the pie crust with the recipe here. Multiply the recipe by 2. Divide the dough in four, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
2. Grind about 1⁄8 teaspoon of saffron in a mortar. Mix the saffron with 2 tablespoons of boiling water, cover and let it sit until it’s brewed, about 30 minutes. (overnight is better, I just cover it and refrigerate it until the next day)
3. Make the filling by mixing pears, lemon juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cardamom, saffron, salt and vanilla in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
6. When the filling is chilled for about 30 minutes, take it out and divide into the ramekins half way through. I like to place the pears one by one to make nice layers and fit as much as pear I can in each ramekin. When you get to the middle of the ramekin, sprinkle some walnuts to get that amazing crunch in the middle. Then continue layering the pears until you reach the top. After baking, the filling sinks in a little bit, so I like to fill each one to the top and a little more! lol
7. Place the chilled pie crusts on top of the ramekins, tuck the 1/2 inch of dough under. If you haven’t used a cookie cutter to create a hole for the steam to come out, use a knife to cut slits in the top.
7. Freeze the pies for 15 minutes. Then brush the tops with the egg wash mixture and sprinkle some white sugar on it for a delicious crunch.
8. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake them at 375 F for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
8. Let them cool down in room temperature for about 2 hours before cutting to make sure the filling is not super runny.
Note: If you like a simple pear pie, you can skip saffron and cardamom and just add vanilla and cinnamon.
