Apple And Pear Streusel Pie Food

SPICED APPLE AND PEAR PIE

Steps:

• Dough:
• Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Rub 1/4 cup of the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers until completely absorbed. Then rub in the remaining butter until it resembles cornmeal mixed with pea-size bits of butter. (If it gets warm and sticky, refrigerate it to chill.)
• Beat the egg with 3 tablespoons of the water; then drizzle it evenly over the dough. Lightly stir the dough together with a fork. (The dough should just hold together when you squeeze it together, with some dry crumbly bits.) If the dough is really dry, sprinkle it with the final tablespoon of water. (To make the dough in food processor, see below.)
• Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap and shape into disks. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. (The dough can be frozen for 2 months. Defrost dough in the fridge overnight.)
• Filling:
• Finely grate the lemon zest and set aside. Peel, core and then slice both the apple and pear into 1/2-inch slices. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fruit, then toss fruit with the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and nutmeg.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fruit and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves and juices simmer, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until the fruit softens and the juices evaporate some, about 10 minutes. Evenly mix the flour into the fruit; then cook about a minute more to thicken the juices slightly. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest; and remove from the heat. (The filling should resemble a tight compote.) Cool completely.
• Form the pie:
• Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Roll a disk of dough into an 11 to 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to 9-inch glass pie pan (see photo), trimming so it hangs about 1/2-inch over the edge of the pan. Fill the crust with the prepared fruit so it mounds slightly in the center. Roll the remaining dough into a 12-inch circle. Brush the rim of the crust with some of the egg.
• Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll it over the fruit so it hangs over the edge of the pie pan by about 1/2-inch. Trim crust if needed, reserving the scraps for decorations or for patching, if needed. Fold the top crust edge under the bottom one, then press the edges together to seal. Cut trimmed scraps into designs if desired and set aside. Flute the crust by pressing a finger into the crust against the other hand's index finger and thumb to make an even impression. Repeat every 1/2 inch around the pie to create a ruffled edge (see photo). Refrigerate the pie for at least 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 425 degrees F.
• Brush pie with egg and place cut dough designs on top if desired. Brush again and sprinkle with sugar. Cut 6 to 8 small steam vents into the top of the dough. Place pie on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake until the crust (both top and bottom) is golden brown, about 50 minutes more. If the edges begin to brown too quickly, cut a pie shield out of a piece of aluminum foil and cover the edges (see photo). Cool on a rack.
• Serve pie warm or at room temperature with whipped or ice cream. Keep pie, covered, at room temperature for a day, or refrigerate for up to four.

PEAR-APPLE PIE WITH STREUSEL TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss apples and pears with 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, tapioca and cinnamon in large bowl. Let stand 15 minutes. Mix flour and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar in medium bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in walnuts; set aside.
• Prepare pie crust in 9-inch pie plate as directed on package. Fill with fruit mixture; top with crumb mixture.
• Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until juices form bubbles that burst slowly. Cool.

APPLE-PEAR PIE

Steps:

• Peel the apples and pears; slice 1/2 inch thick. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples, pears, granulated sugar, brown sugar, ginger and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mostly tender, 20 to 25 minutes (reduce the heat if the skillet looks dry). Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, flour and cinnamon. Let cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, place a baking sheet in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 450 degrees F. Cut 1 dough round into nine 1/4-inch-wide strips; cut the rest of that round into strips of varying thickness. Weave the 1/4-inch strips into 3 thin braids, 3 strips per braid (these will be for the edges). Make braids with some of the remaining strips; leave some as is. Refrigerate the braids and strips until firm, 30 minutes.
• Line a 9-inch pie plate with the other dough round; add the filling. Arrange the dough strips and braids (except for the 3 for the edges) parallel to one another on top of the filling. Trim any excess dough around the edges. Brush the edges with beaten egg and line with the 3 thin braids; trim the excess. Brush all of the dough with egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
• Bake the pie on the hot baking sheet, 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake until the filling is bubbling and the crust is browned, about 1 more hour. (Cover the crust with foil if it darkens too quickly.) Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

LIGHTER APPLE & PEAR PIE

Steps:

• Peel, core, and chop the apples and pears into large pieces, and throw into a big saucepan with the lemon juice, agave syrup, mixed spice and 200ml water. Bring to a simmer with the lid on, then take off the lid and cook, stirring, for about 5 mins until the apple is softening. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out three-quarters of the fruit chunks and put into a pie dish.
• Cover and cook the remaining fruit for another 4-5 mins until soft, then mash with a potato masher. Mix 1 tbsp of this with the cornflour to a smooth paste, then add back to the pan and bring back to a simmer, stirring, to thicken the sauce. Pour over the fruit in the pie dish and stir together. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Lay out your sheets of filo and brush all over with oil - 1 tsp should be enough for 1 sheet. Scatter over the almonds and press to stick to the pastry, then crumple up each sheet as you lift it on top of the fruit. Bake for 20-25 mins until the pastry is browned and crisp. Serve straight away.

HOMEMADE APPLE-PEAR PIE WITH STREUSEL TOPPING

Steps:

• 1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 375°
• 2. FOR THE CRUST: BLEND flour and salt in medium mixing bowl. CUT chilled shortening into 1/2-inch cubes. Cut in chilled shortening cubes into flour mixture, using a pastry blender, in an up and down chopping motion, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pea-sized pieces remaining. SPRINKLE half the maximum recommended amount of ice cold water over the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir and draw flour from bottom of bowl to the top, distributing moisture evenly into flour. Press chunks down to bottom of bowl with fork. Add more water by the tablespoon, until dough is moist enough to hold together when pressed together. ROLL dough from center outward with steady pressure on a lightly floured work surface (or between two sheets of wax or parchment paper) into a circle 2-inches wider than pie plate for the bottom crust. Transfer dough to a pie plate coated with cooking spray by loosely rolling around rolling pin. Center the rolling pin over the pie plate, and then unroll, easing dough into pie plate. Trim edges of dough leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold edge under. Flute dough as desired. Set aside in the refrigerator while making pie filling.
• 3. FOR THE PIE FILLING: combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Add lemon juice, apples and pears to the flour mixture. Toss gently to coat. Arrange pear-apple mixture in an even layer in prepared crust.
• 4. FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING: combine flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add cold butter and cut in with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle evenly over pear-apple mixture. Bake for 1 hour or until lightly brown. Topping will be crunchy. Let cool for an hour before serving.

PEAR STREUSEL PIE

Steps:

• Combine pear slices, sugar, lemon juice, butter, salt and mace in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes.
• Lift pears out with a slotted spoon and place in pie shell.
• In a small bowl mix cornstarch and water until smooth. Add to mixture in saucepan. Cook, stirring until thick.
• Pour mixture over pears and place pie on a baking sheet. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Mix strusel topping with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of pie and bake an additional 10 minutes until lightly browned.