Cherry Pear Pie -- The Full Ceremony Deserves Something Sweet

College applications opened this week for most schools and I have been approaching them the way I approach a long cooking project: mise en place first, everything organized before anything gets cooked. I've made a spreadsheet with deadlines, essay prompts, required materials, and the contact for each school's admissions office. Mama looked at the spreadsheet and said she was simultaneously impressed and concerned and I told her those weren't mutually exclusive.

Howard and Spelman both have supplemental essays about community and identity that I've been thinking about since I added them to the list. The questions aren't asking you to explain yourself — they're asking you to tell them who you are and why it matters. That's a different thing. I have a lot to say. The challenge is choosing what matters most, which is always the challenge.

The AP Environmental Science Literature essay — the personal essay about why I care — is due Friday. I wrote four drafts this week. The first was too broad. The second was too local, just family. The third started to find it. The fourth is right: it begins with MawMaw's kitchen and ends with the Atchafalaya soil cores and the thread between them is what I've been building for years. Mr. Guidry read draft three and marked it up gently, making suggestions in the margins with a blue pen, and his note at the bottom said, "You almost trust yourself. Get there." Draft four trusts itself. I can feel the difference.

Tanya came over Friday night and Mama made her banana pudding — the full ceremony, vanilla wafers and homemade custard and real whipped cream on top, because Tanya is Mama's second daughter and deserves the full ceremony. We ate on the back porch talking about our college lists, which overlap in one place: Howard, where we both applied. If we both go there, something will be complete. If we don't, something else will be. Either way, the pudding was perfect.

Mama’s banana pudding was the full ceremony that night — the kind of cooking that says “you matter here” without having to say a word — and it made me think about what I’d bring to a table like that if it were my turn. This Cherry Pear Pie has that same energy: it takes time, it takes intention, and it is absolutely not a shortcut kind of dessert. Tanya, the college list, the essays that are finally trusting themselves — all of it deserves something made with real care, from scratch, the way MawMaw would have done it.

Cherry Pear Pie

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 55 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (for crust)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 6–8 tablespoons ice water
• 2 cups fresh or frozen tart cherries, pitted
• 2 medium ripe pears, peeled, cored, and sliced (about 2 cups)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (for filling)
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (for topping)

Instructions

1. Make the crust. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces remaining. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just comes together. Divide into two equal discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Prepare the filling. In a large bowl, combine cherries, pear slices, 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir gently to coat the fruit evenly. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the juices to release slightly.
3. Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 400°F. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on the bottom rack to catch any drips.
4. Roll out the bottom crust. On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disc into a 12-inch circle. Carefully transfer it to a 9-inch pie dish, pressing it gently into the bottom and sides. Trim any excess dough to leave a 1/2-inch overhang.
5. Fill the pie. Pour the cherry-pear filling into the prepared crust, spreading it into an even layer.
6. Add the top crust. Roll the second dough disc into a 12-inch circle. Lay it over the filling. Trim to match the bottom overhang, then fold the edges together and crimp to seal. Cut 4–5 small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Alternatively, cut the top crust into strips and weave a lattice pattern.
7. Finish and bake. Brush the top crust evenly with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Place the pie on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes at 400°F, then reduce heat to 375°F and bake for an additional 35 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the vents.
8. Cool before slicing. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. This allows the filling to set properly so it doesn’t run when cut.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 54g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 290mg