Pear Tarte - Medieval Pear Pie

I have translated this from The English Huswife by Gervase Markham 1615 AD. It's unusual in that before this time pies were almost always made with a single crust while this one has two. Often a two crusted pie was called a coffin in that time period. Rosewater can be found in most healthfood stores or Middle Eastern groceries in the US.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 3  cups dry white wine
• 1  cup sugar
• 1  cinnamon stick
• 4 -5  whole cloves
• 3  lbs  firm ripe pears, bosc work well
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon rose water
•  double crust pie crust

• Topping

• 1  tablespoon butter
• 1⁄2 teaspoon rose water
• 1  tablespoon sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine wine and 1 cup sugar in large heavy pot over medium heat.
3. Stir until sugar dissolved.
4. Add cinnamon and cloves.
5. Peel pears, cut in half from top to bottom and remove core.
6. Add pears to wine mixture and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until pears are just tender.
7. Remove pears from syrup.
8. Turn up heat on wine and bring to a rolling boil.
9. Place bottom crust into pie pan.
10. Top with sliced pears.
11. Sprinkle pears with ¼ Cup sugar.
12. Remove spices from wine syrup.
13. Add 1 Tsp rose water to wine syrup mix well.
14. Take 1/3 C of wine syrup and pour over pears.
15. Place top crust on pie sealing edges by folding crust over edge of the bottom crust and pressing.
16. Cut vent hole into center of pie and place pie on center rack in oven.
17. Bake for 20 minutes then remove from oven.
18. Melt 1 Tbsp butter and ½ tsp rose water then brush this mixture on top of pie.
19. Sprinkle with tablespoon of sugar and return to oven.
20. Bake for another 20 minutes or until pie is golden brown.