Happy October! Now that real fall has arrived, it felt like the perfect time to share more recipes here at Studio DIY. I’ve done plenty of food projects, but not many full recipes—and I’ve been eager to bring a Studio DIY styling touch to seasonal baking. I teamed up with recipe developer and photographer Brittany Wood. She created the recipe and photographed these photos while I handled styling and props. The result: vanilla-cardamom pear hand pies that are as pretty as they are delicious. Read on for the full recipe and instructions.
Crust
4 cups flour
1 1/3 cups unsalted butter, chilled or frozen
2/3 cup water, chilled
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cardamom
Filling
4 pears
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tbsp. butter
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger, freshly grated
1 egg, whisked for egg wash
turbinado sugar for topping, optional
Begin with the pastry. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. Cut the chilled butter into the dry mix until the texture resembles coarse meal. For best flaky results, work with very cold butter: chill it or freeze and grate it into the flour, tossing the grated pieces so they remain coated and don’t clump. Gradually add the chilled water, stirring until the dough just comes together. The dough should hold when squeezed—add a little more water if needed. Shape the dough, wrap it tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm. Keeping the dough cold preserves the butter so the crust bakes up flaky.
For the filling, combine the pears (peeled and diced), sugar, lemon juice, sea salt, butter, scraped vanilla bean, cardamom, cinnamon and grated ginger in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat about 8 minutes, until the pears soften but still hold some shape—avoid overcooking, which will turn the mixture into a puree. Cool the filling to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to an even thickness. Use a cookie cutter or a glass about 4–4.5 inches in diameter to cut circles from the dough.
Before assembling, strain and reserve any juices from the pear filling—those sweet juices are wonderful over oatmeal or yogurt. Place roughly 1 tablespoon of the chilled pear filling in the center of each dough circle, leaving about 1/2 inch clear around the edge. Moisten the edge with a touch of water, top with a second dough circle, and press the edges together to seal. Crimp the perimeter with a fork to ensure a tight seal and cut a few small slits in the top to vent steam. Brush each pastry with the beaten egg for a glossy, golden finish and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
Bake the hand pies for 25–30 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving. These pastries store well at room temperature for a day or two; reheat briefly to refresh the crisp crust.
All photos by Brittany Wood
Recipe by Brittany Wood / Styling by Studio DIY
And with that, consider fall officially welcomed. Bring it on—especially if there’s pie involved.