Another Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and with it comes an annual challenge I like to indulge in: baking a brand new pie. I guess technically every cake I make is “brand new”, unless it’s leftovers (which sounds much more appealing than “little used cake”), but what I think Mean is that it is a recipe that I have never made before or even eaten. Really, *Truly*I love recipe development when it comes to pastry fillings, both sweet and savory, and this Maple Miso Pear Cake was a real treat to make because it ticks both the “sweet” and “savory” boxes. The filling consists of a caramel sauce that is salted with the addition of miso paste, then ripe pears are added and the pears continue to caramelize inside the cake filling with real caramel as it cooks, forming a devil Sweet.
Now you might be wondering “…what is miso paste?”, and I’m so glad you asked! It is a thick paste (similar in consistency to cookie dough) made of salt and fermented soybeans. It seems strange to put it in a dessert, doesn’t it? WRONG. It’s one of those rare, magical ingredients that has layers of flavor so deep and profound that it makes just about anything you add a taste endlessly Better. And if you’re still obsessed with the “fermented beans” thing, soy sauce is basically the juice skimmed off the whole process, and we eat it pretty regularly, so do yourself a favor and stick it in that mental food group and don’t think about it too much. I promise you that the future enjoyment of all things miso is worth the mental manipulation. Basically, think of it as another form of salt 👍
As for the pie, I always thought pears got an unfair shake when it came to the whole “caramel apples” thing, so I married pears and caramel in the filling because they go so well together. And I upped the fall flavors by replacing quite a bit of sugar with maple syrup in the caramel sauce instead, which added the warmth and coziness that only pure maple syrup can bring to a dish. The result of this maple miso pear cake rip-off? A flavor-packed cake that highlights the delicious sweetness of ripe autumn pears and the complex, seductive combination of sweet maple and salty miso in caramel form. And if you’re a little intimidated by the lattice on the pie crust, just read on This Page and you’ll be good to go. If you’re looking to add a flashy new cake to your holiday table, I’ll point you in this direction, my friend. Enjoy!
Maple pear and miso cake
Stuffed with pears and maple miso
-
1/3
cup
granulated sugar -
2
spoons
waterfall -
1/2
cup
Maple syrup -
1/3
cup
heavy cream
room temperature -
3
spoons
butter
room temperature -
1
table spoon
+ 2 teaspoons light or white miso paste -
1
table spoon
extra virgin olive oil -
3 1/2
lb
pears
peeled and cored and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices -
1/2
teaspoon
cinnamon -
1/4
teaspoon
ground cardamom -
2
spoons
cornstarch
Tart
-
1
egg
Cold -
1
teaspoon
vinegar -
from 6 to 7
spoons
ice water -
3
cups
Flour -
2
spoons
granulated sugar -
1
teaspoon
kosher salt -
1
teaspoon
cinnamon -
1/2
teaspoon
nutmeg -
1
pinch
Cream of tartar -
1
cup
unsalted butter
Stuffed with pears and maple miso
-
In a saucepan with a thick bottom, mix the water and granulated sugar until the mixture is well blended. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat and continue boiling until the mixture turns a light caramel color, stirring only once every four minutes. It took me about eight minutes, but the speed will depend on the heat of your stovetop.
-
Remove the pan from the heat and quickly add the maple syrup, cream and butter until incorporated. Be careful as the mixture will spit and hiss slightly. If the sugar starts to build up as you stir, don’t worry, just stir as best you can for about 30 seconds, then return the pot to the heat and bring everything back to a boil over medium-low heat. Once it comes to the boil again, stir until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Once the mixture is smooth, stir every two minutes and leave to simmer for 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the miso paste until smooth. Leave to cool to room temperature.
-
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pear slices and sprinkle with the cinnamon and cardamom. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the pears until they release their juices and half the liquid evaporates from the pan, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes or so (this helps keep the pie crust from becoming soggy anymore late during cooking). ). The cooking time depends on how juicy the pears are. The more the pears are squeezed, the more liquid they become and the longer it will take to cook them). Add the maple miso mixture, stir to combine, and simmer until thickened. Stir in the cornstarch and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Tart
-
Grease a 9-inch cake pan and set aside. Beat the egg with the vinegar and 3 tablespoons of ice water and set aside. Follow the instructions below, depending on whether you want to make the crust by hand or if you want to use a food processor.
-
MANUAL PROCEDURE: Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cream of tartar in a large bowl. Using a box grater, grate the butter using the large hole setting of the grater over the bowl, stopping to stir with a fork and coating the butter pieces in the flour mixture every 10 seconds or so. Once all the butter is incorporated, blend the mixture together with your fingertips until it resembles the consistency of damp sand. Add the water, a spoonful at a time, mixing with a fork, until the dough is well compacted when you squeeze a handful in your hands.
-
FOOD PROCESSING METHOD: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar, and 3 tablespoons ice water. Set aside. Cut the butter into individual tablespoons and set aside. Place the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cream of tartar into the food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the slices of butter and blend until the butter is reduced to pieces roughly the size of a pea. Run the machine while you add the egg mixture, letting it blend for 5 seconds after adding the liquid. DO NOT over mix. Add remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing as you add, until dough holds together. It should not be too wet and sticky, nor too crumbly.
-
Divide the dough into two portions, one slightly larger than the other (about 1/3 vs 2/3). Pat the smaller portion into a rough circle, cover, and place in the refrigerator. Roll out the larger amount of dough to 1/8 inch thickness and transfer to the greased pie pan. Press crust into pan, trim excess leaving 1-inch overhang. Fold the overhang 1 inch under the edge of the crust all the way around. Cover and place the pan in the refrigerator.
-
Roll out the smaller amount of dough until it is 1/8 inch thick and use a knife or pizza cutter to cut lattice strips from the dough and any decorative shapes you want to incorporate, such as leaf-shaped cookie cutters. , etc. Cover and set aside for a moment.
Assembly and cooking
-
Now it’s time to start assembling the cake (woohoo!) Remove the cake pan from the fridge and uncover it. Spread the miso and maple pear filling in an even layer across the bottom of the pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Lightly brush the exposed crust on the pan with the beaten egg. Now arrange the lattice strips on top of the cake. Add any additional decorative cutouts to the edges of the cake. Brush the exposed rack and cutouts with egg wash, cover, and place in the freezer for 30 minutes (this will help prevent the pie crust from shrinking during baking).
-
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to get the pan in and out of the oven without accidentally damaging the crust) and place it in the oven. Bake until center crust is lightly browned, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, covering edges with foil as necessary to prevent over-browning (edges of crust brown faster than center crust). Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
