Gluten-Free Poached Pear Pie

This Changes Everything: Honey Goat’s Milk Pie

Want to make the most beautiful, creamy, lush, crunchy pie you’ll ever taste — that also happens to be gluten free? You have come to the right place. This is everything pies should be. Full of dessert hope, and chock-full childhood nostalgia that may or may not be your own.

Each layer is something new for the senses. The crust is a crunchy, sugary mix that is held together by a buttery base. The center is creamy and light, bringing an amazing symmetry to the crust. And the top … oh, the top. It is a crisp, bright layer of perfectly poached pears that rounds out the crunch and the cream of the previous pie floors. This pie is so vintage and perfect, it deserves its own Instagram filter.

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The recipe beseeches all aspiring bakers to use local ingredients, using the school of thought that the closer food is made, the better it tastes. Cue the Lumineers and Mason jar cocktails.

Crust
2 1/4 cups pecans, finely chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling
1 cup goat’s milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Poached Pear Topping
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 pears, cored, peeled, and sliced thin lengthwise (Anjou, Bosc, or Bartlett work well; choose pears that are ripe but still slightly firm)

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together pecans and sugar in a medium bowl. Add melted butter; stir to incorporate. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of 9-inch pie plate. Transfer to freezer while preparing the filling.

Filling: Whisk together goat’s milk, heavy cream, cornstarch, egg, egg yolks, and sea salt in a large bowl. Scrape the insides of the vanilla bean into the mixture; whisk to incorporate, then set aside. Combine butter, honey, and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until butter is fully melted. Gradually whisk in the goat’s milk mixture. Continue whisking frequently until mixture just starts to boil and thicken, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into prepared crust. Loosely cover pie with foil, then transfer to preheated oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes. (Note: Cover pecan crust to make sure nuts don’t burn during baking.) Remove pie from oven, discard foil, and set aside to cool to room temperature while preparing the poached pear topping.

Poached Pear Topping: Bring 2 cups of water, maple syrup, and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan. Add sliced pears and vanilla bean, then reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until tender, stirring and flipping pears occasionally. Remove with slotted spoon, and transfer to paper towel. Blot slightly, then arrange pear slices in a fanned decorative pattern covering the top surface of the pie. Discard vanilla bean pod. Transfer finished pie to refrigerator and let refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.

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