Pear and Chocolate Short crust Pie

METHOD

• 1)

  Sift together the flour, cocoa and sugar into a large deep bowl.

• 2)

  Crack the egg into the mix and mix it in using your hand.

• 3)

  Add the butter and knead the dough in the bowl until it is well incorporated, even if small pieces are still visible (that will allow for flakiness once baked).

• 4)

  Divide the dough into 2 pieces, one slight bigger than the other. Flatten them into discs, wrap well in cling film and chill for 20min.

• 5)

  The original recipe instructs to use them immediately without chilling. I think the chilling allows for a better crust that could also be easier to manipulate in warmer climates.

• 6)

  On a lightly floured surface, roll the discs using a rolling pin into 1/2 inch thickness. Using plates or cake boards or any guides you might have, cut an 8” circle and a 10” circle.

• 7)

  Prepare the baking sheet covered with baking paper.

• 8)

  Place the smaller circle on the floured surface, place the crushed butter cookies on it and invert it onto the baking sheet. The crushed cookies should be at the bottom of the 8” circle.

• 9)

  Now place the pears on top of the 8” circle, arranging them in a circular pattern, cut side down, pointy side facing the center.

• 10)

  Place the 10” circle on top of the pears and seal the edges well.

• 11)

  Using a fork, pierce holes in the top circle to allow steam to escape while baking.

• 12)

  The original recipe asks to bake at 190C for 1.5 hours.

• 13)

  I had to drastically reduce the heat and I actually baked it around 20min at 190C and then 30-40min at 175C.

• 14)

  With chocolate short crust or any chocolate cookie, it’s very difficult to gage the doneness of the initially dark dough.

• 15)

  We want the pears to soften so we do need a total of an hour at least to have them bake so you might want to pop in a piece of foil paper to avoid the pie from burning.