PEAR AND APPLE PIE

Pastry:

240g (2 cups) cake flour 5ml (1 tsp) salt 40g (3 tbsp) sugar 150g butter, diced 60-75ml (4-5 tbsp) cold water

Filling:

1 large egg yolk 100ml cream 40g sugar Seeds of 1/2 a vanilla pod 3 pears, peeled, cored and sliced 3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Topping:

1 large egg white, lightly beaten, for brushing 10ml (2 tsp) sugar, for sprinkling For the pastry, place flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips to form a breadcrumb-like texture. Add just enough water to form a dough and knead until smooth. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a ball. Cut in half, wrap both pieces in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. For the filling, beat the egg yolk with the cream, sugar and vanilla seeds.

Preheat the oven to 200°C and butter or spray a pie dish. Roll out both pieces of pastry on a lightly floured work surface and cut each into a circle, one the same size as the dish and the other slightly larger. Line a 22cm greased pie dish with the larger pastry circle, trimming any overlapping edges. Spoon in the pears and apples and pour over cream mixture. Cover with the other pastry circle, crimping the edges to seal. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Cut a star pattern into the lid and bake for 40-50 minutes until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 1 large pie