Caramelized Apple and Pear Pie

Well, I'm not going to lie, I think I entered into a new realm of living a satisfied life. Baking a pie from scratch might be one of the most rewarding experiences known to mankind, especially when it turns out perfectly. Tonight, this caramelized apple and pear pie became one of my crowning achievements as a self-gloating home cook.

I have contemplated baking a pie for some time, but I was always afraid of the time commitment and challenges that it would create. However, we planned an evening in with no outside distractions or visitors and this made for a perfect night to bake a pie...from scratch.

I went to the Epicurious website and searched for a pear pie recipe. I was interested in something with caramel, but was unable to find one. I clicked on the Caramelized Apple and Pear Pie recipe (because caramelized is close to caramel) from the November 1999 issue of Bon Appetit. It turned out to be a complete home run.

Liz made the crust from an old family recipe and I prepared the filling. My role was much more fun. I sauteed the apples and pears in butter, boiled the sugar and corn syrup to caramelize the fruit and mixed the brandy and cherries.

Yes, it was real brandy. This was quite an experience in itself. Liz and I are not alcohol consumers. In fact, neither of us had ever bought liquor in our entire lives. I have purchased beer a few times to cook brats and cooking wine, but that's it. Liz had to run some errands, so drawing the short straw, she had to go in the liquor store with our 13 month old child on her hip. She was out of her element and provided brief comic relief to the frumpy college student behind the counter.

We followed the recipe steps exactly as written from the Epicurious website before we baked it. Once in the oven, we left the house for the late movie at the famous Falls Theatre in River Falls. My mom watched the house (and the pie) while we were gone. The only downfall to this pie making experience was that we were not able to pull the finished product out of the oven. My mom was the lucky lady who inhaled the aroma as she pulled it out. I ate the first piece, though, and it was out of this world.

I was very intrigued by the taste that the brandy gave the finished product. It was so rich that I was only able to eat two pieces. I am typically unsatisfied with so little pie, but this particular recipe made the highest quality pie that I have ever had. Seriously. A common complaint I have heard about making pie is creating one that is too runy. This had the perfect consistancy and was easy to cut and serve. It was also easy to eat!

Recipe: epicurious.com

Ingredients:
1/2 cup applejack brandy
1/2 cup dried currants
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, cored, cut into 1/3-inch-thick wedges
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pound firm but ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, cut into 1/3-inch-thick wedges
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup coarsely chopped lightly toasted walnuts

Music: Tim McGraw - Everywhere
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