Pear Pie

Take one-half of the pie pastry dough, and roll to a 1/8-inch thick circle; fit inside a greased 9-inch metal pie pan. Cut excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, reserving unused pie dough by covering in plastic wrap and keeping in the refrigerator for later use. Fold overhang under itself, creating a thicker ring of crust around the pie’s edge. Grease a sheet of aluminum foil liberally with butter. Place the buttered surface inside the pie shell, allowing the pie dough to come in direct contact with the aluminum foil. Freeze crust for 1 hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake crust with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and use a spoon to press down any areas that have puffed up. Bake uncovered until the crust just begins to take on color, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, tapioca, cinnamon, and cardamom. Set aside. Slice the peeled pears into 1/4-inch thick slices. In a large bowl, toss pear slices in lemon juice and bourbon. Once well coated in liquid, add sugar mixture to pears and toss to coat.

Spread fruit mixture evenly into prepared pie shell. Combine remaining pie dough with pie dough scraps from Step Roll into an 1/8-inch thick circle. Cut dough into 1/2-inch wide strips and weave dough on top of pie. Once entire surface is covered, trim any overhang and press the ends of the pie dough strips into the partially cooked crust. Whisk together egg yolk and water, and brush each strip of dough with egg wash. Sprinkle surface evenly with raw sugar.

Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, covering the pie with aluminum foil for the last 20 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning. Allow pie to cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours before slicing.