Pears are one of the few fruits available year-round at farmers’ markets. Pick up some Boscs or Bartletts for your children’s lunchboxes, and grab a half-dozen extra to make this incredibly easy free-form pie.

Prep Time: 15 minutes, cook time: 20 minutes, servings: 1 9-inch pie

Ingredients

1 (9-inch) unbaked store-bought or premade single piecrust

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for sprinkling

5 cups peeled, cored, thinly sliced firm pears (about 6–8 pears)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out piecrust dough into a 16-inch circle. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a deep bowl, combine cornstarch, cinnamon and 1 cup of the sugar. Add pears and vanilla and toss to coat well. Spoon pears onto center of crust, spreading to within 2 inches of edge.

3. Bring crust up over pears to form a border of about 2 inches, pleating and folding crust as needed. Brush folded edge with egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar. Bake until pears are tender and crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.

Excerpted from Sweety Pies: An Uncommon Collection of Womanish Observations with Pie, by Patty Pinner, published by Taunton Press, copyright © 2007.