Bosc Pear Pie Food

BOURBON-PEAR STAR PIE

Steps:

• For the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles a coarse meal. Add the egg mixture and stir the dough together with a fork until it is fully moistened and crumbly. Knead the dough a few times until it comes together. If the dough is dry, stir in up to 1 tablespoon cold water. Form the dough into 2 disks, about 11 ounces each, then wrap them in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, peel, halve and core the pears. Cut each half into 4 wedges, and cut the wedges in half crosswise to shorten them. Toss with the sugar, cinnamon, salt and 1/4 cup bourbon. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat, add the pears, return to the heat and cook until the sugar dissolves and the pears begin to simmer, about 2 minutes. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pears are tender when pierced with a knife, 3 to 6 minutes. Strain the pears into a bowl to catch the juices. Put the juices back into the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until caramelized and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Pour the syrup over the pears and chill until cooled.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place an inverted baking sheet on the bottom rack. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll each disk of dough to a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Fit one into a 9-inch pie pan and trim to a 1/2-inch overhang, then brush the edges with the beaten egg. Fold the edge of the dough underneath and press to seal and crimp. From the second dough circle, cut out stars with 1 1/2-inch, 2-inch and 3 1/2-inch star cutters and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the cutouts with the beaten egg. Sprinkle gold sanding sugar over some, but not all, of the stars. Chill the stars and the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes.
• Stir the cornstarch and the remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon, if using, into the cooled pear filling, and pour the filling into the crust. Lay the stars on top of the filling, some of them overlapping, so that most of the pie is covered but some of the filling is peeking out. Place the pie on another baking sheet.
• Bake the pie on top of the inverted baking sheet until the crust is light golden brown, the pears are tender and the filling is bubbly, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. (If the crust gets too brown, tent it with aluminum foil.) Let the pie cool 1 hour before serving.

HOMEMADE PEAR PIE FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt together in a food processor. Add cold butter and vegetable shortening; process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in water 1 tablespoon at a time until a thick and sticky dough forms. Continue processing until dough forms a firm ball, about 15 minutes.
• Place dough in a bowl. Cover with a wet towel and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Combine pears, white sugar, brown sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined, about 10 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons flour and continue mixing until filling is thick and glossy.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly spray a pie plate with cooking spray.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead dough about 4 times. Separate into 2 even pieces. Flatten 1 piece for the bottom crust. Place in the pie dish with excess dough hanging over the sides. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over the crust. Add pear mixture to just below the rim of the pie plate.
• Roll out second piece of dough and cut into thin strips. Lay 1/2 of the strips vertically over the pie. Place remaining strips horizontally on top. Fold overhanging dough over the edges of the strips to cover them. Press to seal with your fingers. Use the back of a fork to crimp the edge.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl. Brush over the pie. Continue baking until top and edges are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.

KELLY'S COUNTRY-STYLE FRESH PEAR PIE

Steps:

• In large bowl, whisk/mix first 6 ingredients. In medium bowl, slice cored, peeled pears into lemon juice, tossing as you go to prevent browning.
• Stir pears into dry mixture well. Stir in vanilla.
• Pour into unbaked 9" deepdish pie shell. Dot top with butter.
• Cover with lattice top, or top of your choice. Tuck top edge under bottom edge, pinch/flute edge all the way around well to seal.
• Brush top with a little water very lightly, sprinkle top with cinnamon/sugar.
• Bake in 425º oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350º, bake 45-50 minutes longer. Watch for any excessive browning on edges, may need to cover them lightly with foil. Serve warm with Butter Pecan ice cream if desired!
• Makes a large pie, serves 6-8.

BOSC PEARS POACHED IN RED WINE CARAMEL

Steps:

• Peel pears, leaving stems intact, and cut a thin slice from bottom of each if necessary to enable pears to stand upright when served. Set aside.
• Put sugar in a 3-quart heavy saucepan and melt over moderate heat until it begins to caramelize. Continue to cook, keeping a close eye and the sugar constantly circulating. Cook until the sugar is a deep golden caramel. Stir in the butter carefully, as the mixture may bubble up. Simmer and stir until caramel sauce has developed, about 5 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean.
• Carefully arrange pears in the poaching liquid. They should be completely covered by the liquid, add water if they are not. Simmer pears, turning them occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes.
• Test by inserting a knife into the fattest part of the pear, it should come out with no resistance. Finish off with lemon juice to wake up the flavor. Gently remove the pears to a serving dish, cut side down. Pour the wine syrup over the pears. Serve with Gorgonzola and candied walnuts.

BOSC PEAR PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 Crust In medium-large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Using a fork, cut butter and shortening into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle water over mixture; mix just until dough begins to clump together a bit. If necessary, add more water by teaspoons. Divide dough roughly in half; put one half in a plastic bag and press to form a ball. Roll out and put into pie pan. Bake for 15 minutes. While crust is baking, prepare filling. Filling Cut pears into quarters lengthwise. Remove seeds and stem. Slice off and discard skin. Thinly slice pears widthwise. Place pear slices in medium frying pan over medium heat. Sprinkle sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla over pears. Stir until sugar has melted and pears are covered in a sticky cinnamon sugar sauce. Cover, leave on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally (if pears are extra-firm, cook until pears are soft-if pears are ripe, reduce time to 6 minutes.) Finishing Put second half of dough in plastic bag to form a ball. Roll out dough, slice in strips. If any extra dough is left over from either bottom or top crust, form leaves with dough. Put pear filling into baked bottom crust. Drizzle heavy cream over pears, let drain to the bottom. Cream should just cover the bottom of the crust. Lattice strips of dough over pie, place dough leaves on the middle of the pie. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cream is firm and does not slosh in pie pan. Cool at least 20 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers. (Can be heated for 30 seconds in the microwave after refrigerated) Note: This pie is more like a pear tart, because the crust is not entirely filled. If crust is filled entirely with pears, cream cannot firm.

CHICKEN STIR-FRIED WITH BOSC PEARS

Steps:

• Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
• Add the chicken and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes.
• In another bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and reserve.
• Heat a wok over high heat for at least 45 seconds.
• Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the peanut oil and coat the wok using a spatula. When a wisp of white smoke appears, add the ginger slices, stir and cook for 15 seconds.
• Add the asparagus and cook, stirring, for one minute.
• Add the celery and bell pepper and cook, stirring for another minute.
• Add the pear and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
• Remove the contents of the wok and reserve on a platter.
• Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil and coat the wok with it using a spatula.
• When a wisp of white smoke appears, add the shallots, stir, and cook for 20 seconds.
• Add the garlic and stir briefly.
• Add the chicken and marinade, spread in a thin layer, and cook for 45 seconds.
• Turn over and cook for one minute.
• Splash the wine over, and stir to mix.
• Add the reserved vegetable-fruit mixture and cook, stirring for two minutes.
• Make a well in the center of the mixture, stir the sauce mixture, pour in and stir to mix until the sauce thickens, about 1 1/2 minutes.
• Turn off the heat, add the macadamia nuts, mix well, transfer to a heated platter, and serve.

ROASTED BOSC PEARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt butter with oil in small ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add pear halves, turning to coat. Arrange pears, cut side down, in skillet; sprinkle with water. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes. Cool. Peel and core roasted pears; cut into 3/4-inch cubes.