This spelt crusted pie is both delicious and rich in flavour. The pear and ginger profiles meld perfectly together and the sprinkle of marjoram adds a subtle herbal flavour. This is the first time I’ve baked pie in a clay dish and the crust came out perfectly crisp! The pie plate is made by Debbie Gilmer in South Mountain, ON and gifted by the Northern Kiln. Shop the pie plates here https://thenorthernkiln.ca/
Ingredients
Pie Crust
2 cups spelt flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter, softened and diced into cubes
8-10 Tbsps of water
Filling
6 Large Anjou pears (or similar), peeled, quartered and sliced into 1/4inch chunks
½ cup cane sugar or honey
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
¼ cup cornstarch
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3 sprigs of marjoram, leaves removed from stems
1 egg
Directions
Add the spelt flour into a bowl with the butter and mix.
Add salt and water. Mix until a dough is formed. If you find your dough a bit dry, add an additional tablespoon of water.
Split the dough into two. Roll both halves into round balls and roll out until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Place one rolled out piece into the pie dish and trim the edges.
Cut the top half into ½ inch wide strips and take 3 of the longest strips, cut in half. Braid the long strips and you should have 2 braids that can frame the perimeter of the pie.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, add pears, sugar/honey, ginger cornstarch, lemon juice and marjoram. Mix and let the filling rest for 5 minutes.
Fill the prepared pie crust with the filling and even it out.
Overlay your pre-cut crust pieces in a lattice pattern on the pie. Then add your braided crust around the edge of the pie. Brush the top of the pie crust with a beaten egg.
Bake for 1hr 15 mins – 1hr 30 mins. If the crust gets dark quickly, place a piece of tin foil on top of the pie. To check for completeness, use a toothpick to push into the pie filling. If the filling is done, the toothpick should slide to the bottom easily.
Enjoy!