Chai Spiced Pear Crostata
The first time I started loving pears was during my study abroad semester in Florence, Italy. Every week, I’d visit my local fruit & vegetable market to see what was in season and looked fresh. There was something about finding a pear at the peak of its ripeness — the flavor was sweet and floral while the texture was silky & just soft enough to nearly melt in your mouth.
This pear crostata recipe is simple in its ingredients to truly showcase the beauty of bosc pears during the autumn and winter seasons. While the design and placement of the pears honors the beautiful curvature of the pears themselves. The dough can even be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator or freezer for later use or if you’re in a pinch! It’s a simple recipe that brings together a crisp and tender dough, a crust sprinkled with turbinado sugar, and pears laced with my favorite Chai Masala from Diaspora Co. There’s something special about the combination of fresh fruit and the warming spices from the chai that make this extra comforting. A slice served warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream is among one of my favorite accompaniments.
*This recipe is an adaptation of Giada de Laurentiis’ apple crostata, which has been one of my favorites for years.
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Yield: 6 servings
Tools —
Food processor
Medium size bowl
Large plate/baking dish
Spatula
Rolling pin
Sheet tray
Parchment paper
Cooling rack
Ingredients —
Crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
10 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
4-6 tbsp ice water
Filling
3-4 bosc pears, ripe but still firm
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp Chai Masala from Diaspora Co
Extras
1 egg, beaten for egg wash
4 tbsp turbinado or raw cane sugar
Instructions —
1. Make the crust. First, cut the unsalted butter into small cubes. Add flour, sugar, and salt into a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the cubed unsalted butter and pulse until a coarse meal forms. Gradually add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time and continue to pulse. Mix the dough in the food processor until it forms one cohesive clump of dough. Do not overmix! Collect the dough ball, flatten, and wrap with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes until ready to roll out.
*The dough can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a couple weeks.
2. Preheat the oven to 400F.
3. Make the filling. Cut each pear into quarters and remove the core. Cut each quarter into 6-8 slices no thicker than 1/8 inch. If making a design, use a large plate or dish to help lay out each sliced pear quarter. This will help keep the crostata dough as cold as possible when actually assembling. When done making a design, squeeze the lemon juice and 2 tbsp sugar over the top of the pear slices. Set aside for 5-10 minutes.
4. Prepare the dough. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust your countertop with flour and roll out your dough into a large round, no thicker than 1/4 inch. Transfer the dough round to the parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Assemble the crostata. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of chai spice and 1 tbsp of raw cane sugar onto the rolled out dough before placing the pear slices. Transfer the macerated pear slices to the center of the rolled out dough, leaving a 2 inch border. Make sure not to transfer the excess juice as it will make the crostata soggy. Fold over the border to create a ‘crust’ and pleat loosely to create a rustic edge. Pinch the dough to patch any holes or tears. Brush egg wash over the crust and edges. Sprinkle 1 tsp of chai spice and 3 tbsp turbinado sugar over the crust and pears — this will create a satisfyingly crunchy effect on the finished crust!
6. Bake the crostata for ~45 minutes in the oven or until golden brown on the crust. Check on the crostata 20 minutes in and rotate for even browning.
7. When golden brown, remove the crostata from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer the crostata from the baking sheet to a cooling rack to continue cooling.
8. Enjoy at room temperature or serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
