Food Recipes Brown Butter and Vanilla Pear Pie 4.6 (22) 1 Review Classic fall flavors—pears, apples, and vanilla—combine with brown butter for a delightful pie. By Dawn Perry Dawn Perry Dawn is the author of Ready, Set, Cook; How to Make Good Food With What's on Hand. She served as the food director for Real Simple and has worked in the test kitchens of Everyday Food, Bon Appétit, and the meal kit delivery service Martha & Marley Spoon. Dawn is the author of Short Stack Editions' Cucumbers and her recipes and writing have been featured in the LA Times, The New York Times, and The Washington Post among other publications. She recently started Superkind Cookies, a premium cookie company shipping treats nationwide. Highlights: * Author of Ready, Set, Cook; How to Make Good Food With What's on Hand. * Former food director for Real Simple * Worked in the test kitchens of Everyday Food, Bon Appétit, and Martha & Marley Spoon * Recipes and writing have been featured in the LA Times, The New York Times, and The Washington Post Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 5, 2018 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Johnny Miller Hands On Time: 30 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Yield: 8 servings Jump to Nutrition Facts Brown butter is a cook’s best friend—it adds richness and depth of flavor to any food it touches. And, thankfully, it’s easy to make. Just melt the butter over medium heat until it smells nutty and delicious. What you’re doing is toasting the milk solids that are inside butter, and those are what give brown butter its name. In this recipe, tossed with pears, apples, and vanilla, you get something wonderfully sophisticated and not overly sweet—perfect for impressing guests. If you want to go the extra mile, serve with creme fraiche or lightly-sweetened mascarpone. Ingredients ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 2 ½ pounds pears (about 5), peeled, cored, and chopped 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling 2 disks Basic Piecrust 1 large egg, lightly beaten Directions Preheat oven to 350 F with rack in lowest position. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, swirling until golden and nutty smelling, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour into a bowl and let cool. Toss pears, apples, flour, vanilla, salt, brown butter, and ¼ cup sugar in a large bowl. Roll out one disk of piecrust on a lightly floured work surface to about 14 inches in diameter. Place in a 9-inch pie plate; trim dough to a 1-inch overhang. Fill crust with pear mixture. Roll out remaining disk to about 12 inches in diameter and lay over pears. Fold top edge over and tuck under bottom edge; crimp edge as desired. Cut a few vents in the top and brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon more sugar and freeze for 15 minutes. Bake on bottom rack until deep golden brown and juices start bubbling through the cracks, 60 to 75 minutes. Let cool for at least 4 hours before slicing. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 593 Calories 36g Fat 65g Carbs 6g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Calories 593 % Daily Value * Total Fat 36g 46% Saturated Fat 22g 109% Cholesterol 114mg 38% Sodium 330mg 14% Total Carbohydrate 65g 24% Total Sugars 25g Protein 6g *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.