Gingersnap Spiced Asian Pear and Mascarpone Pie

With all my talk of Bartlett pears last week, I decided to dedicate the entire month to this fall fruit. This week, I baked with Asian pears, also known as apple pears.

Asian pears are crispier, crunchier, and a bit grainier than European pears—but equally delicious to bake with. They are lightly sweet, very juicy, and have hints of pineapple in their flavor and aroma. They also hold their shape when baked, which is why I decided to use them for this pie recipe, which calls for a roasted pear topping.

Gingersnap Pie Dough

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
½ teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon granulated sugar 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

2 to 4 tablespoons water, ice-cold

Just like classic pie dough, pulse flour, salt, sugars, and spices in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly, but holds together when squeezed (add more water if needed).

Shape dough into a 1-inch thick disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 14-inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie plate, trimming dough to have a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the overhang of dough under itself to form a rim, and crimp decoratively to seal. Freeze pie shell until ready to use.

Pear and Mascarpone Filling

10-12 ripe Asian pears, peeled, halved, and with seeds removed

1 ½ cups sugar

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla, divided

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

8 ounces mascarpone

Preheat oven to 350°F. Fully bake piecrust using the blind bake method. Let cool to room temperature before filling.

In a large bowl, toss pears, sugar, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, and cinnamon until evenly coated. Arrange pears, cut side down in a baking dish and roast until juices are bubbling and slightly thickened, about 30 to 40 minutes (cooking time will depend on ripeness of pears). Let cool slightly.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to a bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Pour the remaining juices in the baking dish into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened and reduced to about 1/2 cup; set glaze aside.

Combine sugar, honey, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, salt and mascarpone in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer beat on high speed until mixture holds firm peaks (do not overbeat or mascarpone may curdle).

Spread mascarpone cream evenly over bottom of crust. Arrange a single layer of chilled pear halves tightly, but not overlapping, over mascarpone mixture. Starting at the edges of the piecrust, arrange remaining pear halves on top of the base layer, overlapping tightly and forming a spiral to cover. Using a pastry brush spread the glaze over pears.

Cut pie into slices and serve with scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream!