From the roundup: 24 Easy Fall Desserts Recipes to Bake This Season
Pear frangipane hand pies have become my go-to fall baking project when I want something that looks like it came from a bakery but doesn’t require me to clear my whole Saturday. The filling is just butter, sugar, egg, and almond flour beaten together with a fork. No stand mixer, no double boiler, nothing fussy. You spread a spoonful into the center of a dough circle, fan a few thin pear slices on top, fold it over, crimp the edges, and you’re done with the hard part.
Active time is around 35 minutes, and most of that is cutting circles and assembling. There’s a 15-minute chill in the refrigerator before baking, which is a good time to wipe down the counter and preheat the oven. Bake time is 20 to 24 minutes. Eight individual pies, no slicing required, and they hold together well enough to eat standing over the kitchen sink if that’s where the afternoon takes you.
One thing worth saying upfront: pull these when they are deeply golden brown, not just pale gold. I’ve pulled them too early before thinking they looked done, and the bottom crust was still a little soft. Real color means real texture here.
How these ended up in the rotation
I made these for the first time when I had two pears sitting on the counter that were right on the edge of too ripe. I didn’t want to make a full pie because I only had one pie dough round left, and I didn’t want to run to the store. I made a half batch of frangipane, sliced the pears thin, and just folded everything into little half-moons. My oldest, who usually skips anything fruit-related in a baked good, ate two of them before dinner and asked what was in them. I said almonds and pear. She said it tasted like marzipan in a good way. That was enough of an endorsement for me to make a full batch the following weekend.
Why you will love this
- Frangipane comes together in one bowl with a fork, no special equipment needed
- Store-bought pie dough keeps prep under 35 minutes total
- Eight individual portions mean no slicing or serving utensils at the table
- The filling stays put when you bite in, no spilling out the sides like jam-filled pies
- Assembled pies can be frozen unbaked, so you can pull and bake just a few at a time
Tips for success
- Keep the dough cold throughout. If it starts to feel greasy or sticky while you’re cutting circles, slide the whole sheet pan into the fridge for 10 minutes before continuing.
- Don’t skip the 15-minute refrigerator chill after assembly. It’s the difference between pies that hold a clean half-moon shape and ones that spread and leak at the seam.
- Spread the frangipane to within 3/4 inch of the edge and keep the pear slices flat and overlapping, not piled. Too much height in the center makes it hard to seal the edge and the dough can tear.
- Bake until the color is deep golden brown all over, including the bottom. Slide one pie off the pan with a spatula and check the underside at the 20-minute mark. Pale means underdone, even if the tops look set.
Make-ahead and freezer notes
- Frangipane can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator. Give it a quick stir before using.
- Assembled, unbaked pies freeze well on a sheet pan. Once solid, transfer to a zip bag for up to 1 month. Bake straight from frozen at 400 degrees F, adding 5 to 6 extra minutes.
- Baked pies keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 days, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- To reheat, use a 325 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. The microwave turns the crust soft, so skip it.
Substitutions
Store-bought pie dough works perfectly here and saves real time. For the pears, Bosc holds its shape best during baking, but Bartlett works too as long as the pears are firm, not soft and overripe. Thinly sliced firm apples or peeled peaches can stand in depending on the season. Finely ground blanched almonds run through a food processor will substitute for almond flour if that’s what you have on hand.
For a nut-free version, replace the frangipane with about a tablespoon of cream cheese per pie, sweetened with a little honey and a pinch of cinnamon. The texture is different but it still works. If almond extract is too strong for your family, vanilla extract is a quieter swap that keeps the filling mild.
Make-ahead and storage
The frangipane filling can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. The assembled, unbaked hand pies can be frozen flat on a sheet pan, then transferred to a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Bake straight from frozen at 400 degrees F, adding about 5 to 6 extra minutes to the bake time.
Baked pies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerated for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 325 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes to bring the crust back. The microwave makes the crust go soft, so the oven is worth the extra few minutes.
Pear Frangipane Hand Pies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Make the frangipane. In a small mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and 1/3 cup granulated sugar together with a fork until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the egg and almond extract and stir until combined. Fold in the almond flour, all-purpose flour, and salt. The filling will be thick and slightly sticky, similar to a soft cookie dough. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the dough and pears.
- Peel and core the pears, then slice them thin, about 1/8 inch thick. Toss them with the lemon juice in a bowl so they do not brown while you work.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one pie dough round until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Use a 5 to 6-inch round cutter or the rim of a bowl to cut out circles. Gather and re-roll scraps as needed. You should get 8 circles total from both rounds of dough. Keep the cut circles on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the refrigerator while you work.
- Working with one circle at a time, spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon of frangipane into the center of the dough. Spread it out gently, leaving about a 3/4-inch border around the edge. Layer 3 to 4 thin pear slices on top of the frangipane, arranging them in a small fan or overlap so they lay flat.
- Brush the border of the dough circle lightly with egg wash, then fold one half of the circle over the filling to form a half-moon shape. Press the edges together firmly with your fingers, then crimp with a fork all the way around to seal. Place the finished pie back on the parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Once all 8 pies are assembled, slide the baking sheet into the refrigerator and chill for 15 minutes. This helps the dough firm back up so the pies hold their shape and bake with a flakier crust.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the pies from the refrigerator. Brush the tops with egg wash and use a sharp knife to cut 2 small slits in the top of each pie to let steam escape. Sprinkle coarse sugar over the tops if using.
- Bake for 20 to 24 minutes until the pies are deeply golden brown all over. Pale golden is not enough here. You want real color for the best texture and flavor. Let them cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes before eating. The filling will be very hot straight from the oven.
Notes
← Back to 24 Easy Fall Desserts Recipes to Bake This Season