On a recent trip to another state, my dear friend Ruth ate a slice of pie. That slice of pie was what she has come to call “the best slice of pie I’ve ever eaten.” Her discovery was in a small Texas town, and the slice of pie she enjoyed was an unexpectedly good union of pears and lime.
“The pear and lime combination was such an interesting grouping of flavors in a slice of pie,” Ruth recalls. “And, it was not too sweet; the slice of pie actually had a compelling bitter flavor almost like marmalade that was softened by really good vanilla ice cream.”
So, we put our heads together and figured out a basic recipe for the slice of pie Ruth has been raving over. Fair warning is given. We have not tried this Pear Lime Pie recipe ourselves, although Ruth has made a supermarket sweep to find the right ingredients.
Pear Lime Pie
2 pie crusts (your favorite homemade recipe, or your favorite frozen variety)
2 whole large limes, zested and juiced to make ¼ cup fresh lime juice
6 ripe baking pears, such as Anjou, Bartlett or Bosc
1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on the pie
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup salted butter (½ stick)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, beaten with water to make egg wash
Instructions
Zest and juice the limes and set both aside. Peel and core ripe pears, then slice thinly with mandolin. Place sliced pears in bowl and toss with lime juice, sugar, and spices. Melt butter in a large skillet and add the fruit mixture. Cook until sugar dissolves and juice simmers. Reduce heat and cook uncovered until some of the liquid evaporates. Mix the flour evenly into the cooking fruit mixture, and let simmer to thicken. Stir in vanilla, one half of the lime zest, and remove from the heat. Let cool.
While fruit mixture is cooling, prepare the pie crust. You’ll need a bottom pie crust and a top crust. Fill the bottom crust with the cooled fruit mixture, and sprinkle remaining lime zest over the filling. Create a lattice top with the second crust. Brush crust with egg wash and sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake on mid-lower oven rack at 425° F for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375° F and bake 45 minutes more until both crusts are golden brown. Cool on a rack. Serve pie warm or at room temperature with quality vanilla ice cream.
Ruth will probably bake the pear lime pie several times and tweak our joint recipe above. When she gets the right combination, she’ll share a slice of pie with me. Meanwhile, I’m thinking the same recipe could be used for apples, pineapple, plums, or any pit fruit, and perhaps the lime juice could be substituted with lemon juice or orange juice, depending on the type of fruit used. I’m not sure a graham cracker crust would work, but it might be an alternative for someone who doesn’t like traditional pie crust.
In any event, I’m looking forward to having a slice of pie. If the Pear Lime Pie recipe is good enough, I’ll consider adding it to my family cookbook and recipe cards. If you try the Pear Lime Pie recipe let us know what you think. Is it the best slice of pie you’ve ever eaten?
Happy Cookbooking,
Erin
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