Pear Custard Pie (French Flaugnarde aux Poires)

Flaugnarde is a surprisingly easy French dessert. This French pear flaugnarde combines tender, sweet pears with a custard-like base. It is so comforting and delicious. Perfect for fall baking. Clafoutis is the same dessert but made with black cherries.

2 eggs
3 Tbsp. sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached (45 g)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ tsp. lemon zest, freshly grated
1 pinch kosher or sea salt
2 small-medium pears (Bartlett or d'Anjou), just ripe
½ Tbsp. salted butter, to grease the skillet

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5). Lightly grease an 8", cast iron skillet or similar sized baking dish with some butter.

Put the eggs and sugar in a bowl or mixer and whisk well until well broken up and combined. Add the milk, flour, vanilla, lemon zest and kosher or sea salt and mix/whisk until smooth.

Peel the pears, cut in half and remove the core. Cut into slices and arrange in the bottom of the skillet/baking dish - you can fan them out slightly as I did or arrange any other way you choose.

Carefully pour the batter into the skillet/baking dish over the pears.

Bake in the oven for roughly 35 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges and set.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before serving. It will probably be puffed up when you take it out the oven and collapse slightly after a minute.

Sprinkle with a little confectioners' sugar to serve, if desired.