No Pan Pear Pie Food

NO-PAN PEAR PIE

Steps:

• Pulse the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a food processor to combine. Add the room temperature butter and pulse until the fat completely disappears into the dry ingredients.
• Add half of the chilled butter and pulse until the flour mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs, about 18 pulses. Add the rest of the chilled butter and pulse 3 to 4 more times.
• Transfer this mixture to a medium-size mixing bowl, and spritz with just enough juice to moisten the surface. Mix with a rubber spatula. Continue spritzing and mixing until a handful of dough, when squeezed, remains compressed - you might not use all the juice. When you've got good adhesion, gather the dough into a round disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes so that the flour can absorb the moisture.
• Heat a 12-inch nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the pears and toss for 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and continue tossing for another 30 seconds. Sprinkle with the sugar, and cook until the pears have softened, about 2 minutes.
• Kill the heat and add the nutmeg, cinnamon, and butter. When the butter has melted, fold in the blueberries. Sprinkle in the 1 teaspoon flour and stir to combine. Cool to room temperature.
• Crank the hot box to 400°F.
• Place the dough on a floured piece of parchment and roll it out to a 1/4-inch thick disk, rolling the pin from the center out, turning the dough on the paper every few seconds to maintain evenness. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into a circle with a uniform edge, then transfer, still on the parchment, to an inverted half-sheet pan.
• Place the pound cake in the middle of the dough, leaving about a 3-inch margin all the way around. Spoon the pear filling over the cake cubes and top with the cubed butter. Lift the edges of the dough circle and fold over toward the middle, working clockwise. Brush the crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake until the filling bubbles and the crust is golden brown and delicious, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully slide off the sheet pan onto a wire rack, and cool completely before serving.

NO PAN PEAR PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a food processor, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine. Place dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and put the bowl into the refrigerator. Remove 1/2 stick of butter from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. In a food processor, add the 1/2 stick of butter to the flour mixture. Pulse until the fat completely disappears. Add the remaining 1 1/2 sticks butter in separate batches. Pulse until flour mixture resembles the size of a pea.
• Combine the apple juice concentrate and the cold water. Using a spray bottle, spritz the dough with the apple juice mixture while folding the mixture with a spatula. After about three tablespoons of the liquid, check the dough for consistency. It should hold together when compressed but remain relatively dry to the touch. If it does not bind, add a little more water. Remove from the processor and form the dough into a ball. Wrap the dough in wax paper or parchment paper and rest in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add pears to the pan and toss for 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and continue to toss for 30 seconds. Add sugar and cook until the pears have softened. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, and the butter and melt slowly. Fold in the blueberries. Remove from heat. Sprinkle on the flour and combine well. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Place dough on a floured piece of parchment and roll out to a 1/4-inch thick disk. Transfer to a baking sheet. Place cubed pound cake in the middle of the dough, leaving a 3-inch margin of crust on all sides. Spoon filling over the cake cubes and top the pears with 1 ounce of cubed butter. Lift excess crust onto filling and repeat in a clockwise fashion until a top lip has formed around the edge of the whole tart. Brush the tart with the egg wash and sprinkle the crust with the sugar.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the filling begins to bubble and the crust is golden brown.
• Remove from the sheet pan immediately and cool on pie rack.

SHEET PAN SLAB PIE

Steps:

• For the pear and fig filling: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Combine the pears, fig preserves, cornstarch, cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
• For the apple cranberry filling: Place a large nonstick pot over medium heat. Add the apples, frozen cranberries, sugar and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring aggressively to burst the cranberries as they soften, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the cranberry juice and cornstarch together in a small bowl to form a slurry. Pour the slurry into the fruit and stir to combine, then cook until a thick sauce has formed, 1 minute more. Turn off the heat and set aside.
• For the blueberry filling: Combine the blueberries, honey, cornstarch and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
• For the pie: On a lightly floured surface, stack 3 rounds of pie dough, then roll out to a 20-by-15-inch rectangle. Place the rectangle on one of the parchment lined baking sheets. Use scissors to trim to a 1-inch overhang on all 4 sides and save any excess dough for later use. Place in the fridge to firm up for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stack the remaining 3 rounds of dough, then roll out to an 18-by-13-inch rectangle. Use a pizza cutter or knife to slice the rectangle lengthwise into twelve 1-inch-wide strips. Place the strips on the remaining lined baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, or until it is time to create the lattice.
• Remove the bottom crust from the refrigerator and prick in several places with the tines of a fork. Pour the blueberry filling in one corner and spread diagonally to fill a third of the pan (the fruit layers should not have a perfect edge or stopping point). Next, pour the apple cranberry filling in the middle and spread diagonally to fill another third of the pan. Finally, pour the pear and fig filling in the remaining third of the pan.
• Using a basket weave method, create a diagonal lattice on top of the pie with the remaining dough strips: Arrange 6 strips down diagonally across the pie, leaving about 2 inches between each dough strip. Fold back every other strip and place a strip down perpendicularly. Unfold the strips over them. Repeat this process with the remaining 5 strips, alternating the strips that are lifted to create a woven pattern. Press the end of each dough strip along the rim of the baking sheet and trim off any excess. Use your fingertips or the tines of a fork to crimp the crust of the pie along the rim of the pan. Brush the lattice (but not the edges) with the beaten egg.
• Bake until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing.

FRESH PEAR PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack.
• Combine sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and lemon zest in mixing bowl. Roll out half the pastry and line a 9-inch pie pan.
• Arrange pear slices in layers in the pastry-lined pan, sprinkling the sugar mixture over each layer. Dot with butter and sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Roll out remaining dough for the top crust. Use your finger dipped in a small bowl of water to moisten the rim of the bottom crust. Place top crust over filling, and trim edge using kitchen shears or a sharp paring knife. Fold edge under bottom crust, pressing to seal. Flute edge. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.
• Bake in the preheated oven on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes longer. Allow to cool several hours before serving.

PLEASING PEAR PIE

Steps:

• Preheat one to 425 degrees.
• Sprinkle pears with lemon juice.
• Toss lightly with mixture of remaining ingredients.
• Heap into pastry lined 9 inch pie plate.
• Dot with 2 Tbsp butter, and cover with top crust.
• Crimp edges of crust, and cut slits in top to vent.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, covering crust edges with foil after the first 15 minutes.
• Serve warm with whipped topping or softened vanilla ice cream.

DEEP-DISH WINTER FRUIT PIE WITH WALNUT CRUMB

Steps:

• To make the pie pastry, put the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl, stir to combine, then put the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes.
• Add the butter to the flour mixture and toss to evenly coat. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, a food processor, an electric mixer, or your hands, just until the mixture becomes coarse and crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Stir the water and lemon juice together, then pour over the dry ingredients and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
• Dump the dough onto a well-floured work surface and press it into a 6-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Roll the chilled dough into a 14-inch disk, then line a 9 or 10 by 3-inch springform pan with the rolled-out dough. Patch any holes and trim off any dough that hangs over the edges of the pan. Chill for an additional 30 minutes while you prepare the crumb topping and the fruit filling.
• To make the walnut crumb topping, mix the flour, brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl. Stir in the butter, then work it in with your hands until the texture of crumbs. Put the topping in the refrigerator while you make the fruit filling.
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.
• To make the fruit filling, remove the stem from each fig, then boil the figs in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Slice each fig into 4 to 5 pieces, put them in a large bowl, and add the apples, pears, and cranberries. Separately, rub the sugar and cornstarch together, then add to the fruit and gently toss until evenly coated.
• Transfer the filling to the pie shell and top with the walnut crumb. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the crumb is golden, the fruit juices are bubbling thickly around the edges, and the fruit is tender when pierced with a wooden skewer. If the crumb is getting too dark, cover it with foil.
• Storage: Covered with a tea towel, the pie will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Spooned into a bowl and drizzled with chilled cream, it makes a wonderful breakfast.

PEAR PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450*F
• Spray a deep dish pie pan with nonstick spray.
• In a medium sized bowl, combine sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon and lemon zest. Mix well.
• Toss pealed and chopped pears into sugar mixture until well coated.
• Line a deep dish pie plate with single crust.
• Place pear mixture into pie crust.
• Dot with butter & lemon juice.
• Top with second pie crust and seal edges.
• Cut slits on the top
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350*F and bake for an additional 35 - 40 minutes or until crust is golden.