Whole pastry baked pears make for a delicious and healthy dessert treat. 

Pear Pies

Ingredients

• 4 firm ripe pears, peeled leaving stems intact  
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1/3 cup icing sugar
• 150g butter, chilled, chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp raisin, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp slivered almonds, toasted, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Honey
• Double Cream or ice cream

Method

1. Stir the caster sugar and 6 cups water in a medium-large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
2. Add pears, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 mins or until just tender.
3. Lift out, drain and cool. Place, uncovered, in the fridge to chill.
4. Sift flour and icing sugar into a bowl. Rub in butter until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add lemon juice and 2 tsp chilled water. Cut until mixture forms small clumps, adding another 2 tsp chilled water if needed.
5. Bring dough together. Divide into 4 portions. Flatten into approx. 2cm-thick discs. Wrap and chill for 10 mins. Preheat oven to 180°C or 160°C fan forced.
6. Combine the raisin, almonds and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut the core from the base of each pear.
7. Roll out 1 pastry portion on a sheet of baking paper to an approx. 23cm disc. Fill 1 pear with one-quarter of raisin mixture and stand in centre. Gather pastry up and around pear, pressing gently. Trim overlapping pastry, reserving excess. Repeat with remaining pears, filling and pastry.
8. Cut strips from excess pastry. Brush pastry with egg and attach strips in a spiral motion up the pear. Bake on a lined tray for 30 mins or until golden. If the tops of the pears are browning too quickly, wrap gently with foil.
9. Cool slightly and serve with honey. Cream, Ice Cream or Harris Farm vanilla bean or honey cinnamon yoghurt can also make for good accompaniments