Old fashioned goodness and simplicity, fresh slices of pear, gently spiced with mace and cinnamon, baked tender in their own juices inside a flaky pastry crust.

Old-Fashioned Fresh Pear Pie

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 large egg white, beaten
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Pastry for 1 (9-inch) double-crust pie

1. Stir together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, mace, and cinnamon. Toss with sliced pears until evenly coated.
2. Roll a pie shell dough on a floured board and place in 9-inch pie pan. Moisten the edge with water. Turn the pears into the pie pan. Dot with butter and cover with a second pie shell dough. Crimp the edges.
3. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Cut slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
4. Bake on the low shelf in a 450°F (230°C) oven for 25 minutes. Wrap the edge of the pie crust with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake an additional 20 minutes. Cool before cutting.

Makes 8 servings.