Family secret recipe, Part II: Pear Custard Pie

And now, dessert!

My chicken fried steak recipe (published Jan. 10) prompted one reader to send in one of her own “family secret” recipes.

Sharon Jessen, legal clerk at Idaho Press, sent an email saying she tried my CFS recipe and it was a hit with the family. When I asked if she had any secret recipes she’d be willing to share, she didn’t even blink.

“I make a pear custard pie that is great either warm or cold. It’s pretty easy, but tastes like orange scented heaven !!”

Jessen said she’s made the recipe for years “but I can’t remember who/how I got it.”

Here is Jessen’s recipe — anyone else out there willing to share one?

Pear Custard Pie

For the crust:

1 9-inch unbaked pastry pie shell

Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil.This keeps the shell from bubbling. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 3 minutes longer. Reduce heat to 350 degrees.

For the filling:

4 1/2 cups cubed or thinly sliced pears (adjust amount as needed for size of pie pan)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 eggs

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1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange peel (orange peel is preferable — adjust amount to taste)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (you can use almond extract in a pinch)

Arrange pears in pastry shell so it reaches just under the top of the crust and is level — do not mound or the pears on top will dry out and be rubbery.

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar and nutmeg. Whisk in the eggs, whipping cream, butter, peel and vanilla; pour evenly over pears. (Also, I add a tablespoon of orange marmalade to the custard mix before adding to the pears — it adds a kick of citrus to the pie, but it is purely optional for taste.)

Cover exposed pie shell edges with foil to prevent overcooking.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until filling is just set (mixture will jiggle). Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Pie can be served warm or chilled.

Tip: Make sure you use a cookie sheet to catch the drips. It will make a real mess if it bubbles over.

Jeanne Huff is the community engagement editor for the Idaho Press. You can reach her at 208-465-8106 and follow her on Twitter @goodnewsgirl.