Week Pie: Pear/Apple, Walnut, and Maple Syrup Pie

My goal this year is to make a new pie every week and on top of that I plan to tell you all about them, recipes included.

My inaugural pie, my first in Canada, is Pear/Apple, Walnut, and Maple Syrup Pie. It was originally just supposed to have pears in it, but I'm not the biggest fan of pears, so apples it is!

I used my mom's wonderful pie crust instead of what the recipe said. Her instructions are:

Melt 1 Tblsp. butter in one cup measuring cup

Fill 2/3 with canola oil

Fill the rest with water and zap in microwave until butter melts

In bowl mix 2 cups flour with 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt

Add the contents of the measuring cup

Roll out dough between 2 pieces of wax paper, invert into pie shell.

Filling:

* 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
* 3 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 4 large Comice pears (about 3 pounds), peeled, cored, and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
* 1/4 cup maple syrup
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Cooking spray
* 2 teaspoons water
* 1 large egg

Directions: Preheat oven to 450°.

To prepare filling, combine brown sugar, walnuts, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Combine lemon juice and pears in a medium bowl, and stir in syrup and vanilla. Stir pear mixture into sugar mixture. Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap from the 12-inch circle, and fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray, allowing dough to extend over edge of plate. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Combine 2 teaspoons water and egg in a small bowl, and stir well with a whisk. Spoon pear mixture into prepared crust, and brush edges of piecrust lightly with egg mixture. Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap from the 11-inch circle, and place on top of pear mixture. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Press edges of dough together; fold edges under, and flute.

Place pie on a baking sheet; cut 5 (1-inch) slits into top of pastry using a sharp knife. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove pie from oven); bake an additional 45 (I did 30) minutes or until browned. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.