Free Form Pear Pie - cooking recipe

Ingredients

300 g plain flour
125 g butter, chopped, chilled
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 extra, for brushing
2 tbsp lemon juice
50 g ground almonds
-1 None Filling
30 g butter
3 None ripe pears, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
50 g demerara sugar, plus extra

Preparation

In a food processor, combine flour, butter and icing sugar. Process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg and lemon juice, pulsing until mixture comes together.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly. Flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make filling, melt butter in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add pears, sugar and lemon juice. Cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes, until pears soften. Drain well.
Preheat oven to 200\u00b0C./ 180\u00b0C. fan. Gas mark 6. Place an oven tray in the oven.
Roll pastry out between two sheets of baking paper to a 30cm circle, 5mm thick. Sprinkle almond meal over pastry, leaving a 3cm border.
Pile pears onto almond meal. Fold edges over to partially enclose filling. Beat extra egg and brush over pears, then sprinkle with extra sugar.
Transfer pie, using baking paper, to hot baking tray. Reduce oven to 180\u00b0C./ 160\u00b0C. fan. Gas mark 4. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden. Serve with cream or ice-cream.