Chef Makes Vintage BHG Pear Cheese Pie Recipe

Watch Alexis deBoschnek recreate a retro pear cheese pie from a 1950s Better Homes & Gardens cook book.

Prep Time:
20 mins
Bake Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs
Servings:
12
Yield:
1 pie

In this episode of Then & Now chef Alexis deBoschnek tackles a retro pear cheese pie recipe from a 1950s edition of a Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book. When thinking of what a pear cheese pie could be, the chef thinks of a dessert plate in France or a classic apple-cheese pie. Contrary to the name, though, the type of cheese in this vintage dessert is cream cheese rather than a more savory variety.

The finished pear pie cuts nicely for the chef and the meringue looks perfect. Surprisingly, deBoschnek's first bite turns out to be more light and airy than a dense, cheesecake-like treat. And if you're worried about using canned pears in this recipe, the chef assures the soft pears "totally hold up" and are not overcooked.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups canned pear halves, drained

  • 1 crust graham cracker crust (9-inch)

  • 2 large egg yolks, beaten

  • 8 ounces cream cheese

  • 1 cup sour cream

  • 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel

  • 1 tsp lemon juice

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1 tbsp all purpose flour

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg

  • 2 large egg whites

  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

  • 1/4 cup sugar

Directions

pear cheese pie

Shirley Cheng

  1. Slice pears into graham-cracker crust. Combine egg yolks and softened cream cheese; beat until smooth. Blend in sour cream, lemon peel, and juice.

  2. Combine sugar, flour, salt, and nutmeg; add to cheese mixture; mix well. Pour over pears. Bake at 375ºF about 25 minutes or until just set.

  3. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over filling, sealing to edges of crust. Continue baking 10 minutes longer or until meringue is golden brown.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

263 Calories
15g Fat
28g Carbs
4g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Calories 263.1
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15.2g 20%
Saturated Fat 6.9g 35%
Cholesterol 76.8mg 26%
Sodium 256.8mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 28.2g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 19.2g
Protein 4.4g
Vitamin D 0.2mcg 1%
Vitamin C 0.7mg 4%
Calcium 51.2mg 4%
Iron 0.7mg 4%
Potassium 121.9mg 3%
Fatty acids, total trans 0.2g
Vitamin D 9.9IU
Alanine 0.2g
Arginine 0.2g
Ash 1g
Aspartic acid 0.4g
Caffeine 0mg
Carotene, alpha 0.7mcg
Choline, total 49.2mg
Copper, Cu 0.1mg
Cystine 0.1g
Energy 1101.3kJ
Fluoride, F 0.1mcg
Folate, total 20.7mcg
Glutamic acid 0.7g
Glycine 0.1g
Histidine 0.1g
Isoleucine 0.2g
Leucine 0.4g
Lysine 0.3g
Methionine 0.1g
Magnesium, Mg 10.8mg
Manganese, Mn 0.2mg
Niacin 0.6mg
Phosphorus, P 79.3mg
Pantothenic acid 0.4mg
Phenylalanine 0.2g
Phytosterols 0.1mg
Proline 0.3g
Retinol 99mcg
Selenium, Se 7.5mcg
Serine 0.3g
Starch 5.5g
Theobromine 0mg
Threonine 0.2g
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.7mg
Tryptophan 0g
Tyrosine 0.2g
Valine 0.2g
Vitamin A, IU 361.5IU
Vitamin A, RAE 100.7mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.2mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.1mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 4.2mcg
Water 74.4g
Zinc, Zn 0.5mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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