Pear Bourbon Crumble Pie
 
 
A warmly spiced pear bourbon crumble pie made with an all-butter crust and topped with a delicious oat crumble - perfect for your holiday table!
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the crust
  • 1¼ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1½ tsp sugar
  • ¼ lb (1 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • ½ cup cold water
  • 2 tbsp cider vinegar
  • ½ cup ice
For the oat crumble
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¾ cup rolled oats
  • ⅓ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ⅛ tsp cardamom
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes, at room temperature
For the filling
  • 1 lemon
  • 6-7 medium pears (about 5 cups sliced)
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 3 tbsp bourbon
  • 2 dashes Old Fashion bitters
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the crust
  1. Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter to the flour mixture and toss to coat. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until only pea-sized pieces of butter (or smaller) remain.
  2. In a separate small bowl, combine the water, cider vinegar, and ice. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of the ice water mixture over the flour-butter mixture. Toss with your hands until fully incorporated. Add more of the ice water, 1-2 tbsp at a time, using your hands to mix. Add just enough of the water mixture so that the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  3. Roll out the pie disc into an 11-inch round. Use this to line the pie plate and crimp the edges as desired. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.
For the oat crumble
  1. Place the sugars, oats, flour, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add in the butter pieces and toss to coat. Using your hands, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it is fully incorporated and chunky. Chill for at least 15 minutes before using.
For the filling
  1. Juice the lemon into a large bowl.
  2. Peel and core the pears, then thinly slice them using either a mandoline or a sharp knife. Add the pear slices to the bowl with the lemon juice and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the white sugar. Set aside to rest for 20-30 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, heat oven to 425F and position the racks in the bottom and center positions in the oven.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Drain any excess juice from the pears. Add the sugar mixture to the pears and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the bourbon, bitters, and vanilla. Toss again.
  5. Pour the pear filling into the prepared pie shell, ensuring there are as few gaps as possible. Top with the oat crumble.
  6. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is set. Decrease the oven temperature to 375F and move the pie to the center rack. Bake for another 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.
  7. Allow to cool for at least 2-3 hours before cutting and serving.
Notes
Recipe adapted slightly from The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book
Recipe by Joanne Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/2021/11/pear-bourbon-crumble-pie.html