Pear Berry Pie Food

PEAR AND BERRY CRUMB PIE

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine sugars and nutmeg. Peel, core, and slice pears and apples 1/4 inch thick, adding them to sugar as you go and tossing to coat. Toss with lemon juice and let sit, tossing occasionally, at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours before filling. Just before filling, sprinkle with cornstarch and toss to combine. Pile into prepared bottom crust and pour juices over top. Top as desired.
• In food processor, combine sugars, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Add flour and pulse to incorporate. Add butter and pulse just until large clumps form. Transfer to bowl and gently toss with oats and almonds if using; refrigerate until ready to use.

PEAR & BERRY PIE

Steps:

• To make the poached pears, put the sugar in a big saucepan with the lemon peel, cardamom pods, nutmeg, cinnamon and 1 litre water. Bring to a gentle simmer. Lower the pear halves into the liquid and place a circle of baking parchment on top, so they cook through properly. Leave over a medium heat, so that a few bubbles break the surface every now and then, and cook for 15 mins. Allow to cool in the liquid. Can be chilled overnight if making ahead.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Dust the work surface with a little plain flour. Roll out the pastry so it's big enough to line a 20-23cm frying pan, pie dish or shallow baking tin. Grate a little nutmeg over the surface, then gently roll again to help it stick. Lift over your dish, press into the corners, then trim the edges. You can give it a pretty crimped edge, if you like, then wrap the off-cuts in cling film and keep in the fridge until needed. Scrunch up a sheet of baking parchment, unfold, and lay it over the pastry. Fill with baking beans and bake for 15 mins. Remove the beans and parchment, brush with some of the beaten egg and return to the oven for another 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Cook the remaining pears and sugar in a small pan until the pears are soft enough to squash with the back of a spoon. Drain off 3 tbsp of the poaching liquid and mix this with the cornflour, then pour back into the pears and continue cooking and squashing for another minute or so, until the filling has thickened.
• Sprinkle the ground almonds over the pastry case, then add the squashed pear mixture and scatter over the berries. Remove the poached pears from their liquid and blot them on some kitchen paper. Arrange them face-up among the pear mixture and berries. Using a mini pastry cutter, cut little shapes from the leftover pastry, then arrange them on top. Brush the pastry pieces with beaten egg and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake for 45-50 mins until the pastry is golden and berry juice is bubbling. Cool for 10-15 mins before serving with custard, cream or ice cream, if you like.

BERRY BEST PEAR PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. In medium bowl, mix 2 cups flour and the salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
• Gather pastry into a ball; divide pastry in half. On lightly floured surface, shape each half into flattened round. Roll one round of pastry, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim overhanging edge 1 inch from rim of plate.
• In small bowl, mix sugar, 1/3 cup flour and the cinnamon. Place pears in pastry-lined pie plate. Sprinkle sugar mixture over pears. Top with cranberries. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over filling.
• Roll other round of pastry; cut into strips about 1/2 inch wide. To make lattice top, place about 7 strips across filling in pie plate. Weave a cross-strip through center by first folding back every other strip of the first 7 strips. Continue weaving, folding back alternate strips before adding each cross-strip, until lattice is complete. (To save time, place second half of strips crosswise across first strips instead of weaving.) Trim ends of strips. Fold trimmed edge of bottom pastry over ends of strips. Press edge with fork.
• In small bowl, mix egg white and 1 teaspoon water; brush on lattice pastry top. Cover edge of pastry with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through lattice crust.

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.

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.

PEAR CRANBERRY PIE

Steps:

• For the crust
• Place the butter, shortening and cranberry juice into the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour salt and sugar by pulsing 3 to 4 times. Add the butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until the texture looks mealy. Add the shortening and pulse another 3 to 4 times until incorporated.
• Remove the lid of the food processor and sprinkle in 5 tablespoons of the cranberry juice. Replace the lid and pulse 5 times. Add more cranberry juice as needed, and pulse again until the mixture holds together when squeezed. Weight the dough and divide in half. Shape each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Peel and core the pears. Slice into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick wedges. Toss all of the pears with 1/4 cup of the sugar, place in a colander set over a large bowl and allow to drain for 1 1/2 hours.
• Transfer the drained liquid to a small saucepan, place over medium heat and reduce to 2 tablespoons. Set aside to cool. Toss the pears with the remaining sugar, cranberries, tapioca flour, jam, cranberry juice, lemon juice, salt and nutmeg.
• For assembling and baking the pie:
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove 1 disk of dough from the refrigerator. Place the dough onto a lightly floured piece of waxed paper. Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and roll out into a 12-inch circle. Place into a 9 1/2 to 10-inch tart pan that is 2 inches deep. Gently press the dough into the sides of the pan, crimping and trimming the edges as necessary. Set a pie bird in the center of the bottom of the pan. Place the pears into the unbaked pie shell in concentric circles starting around the edges, working towards the center and forming a slight mound in the center of the pie. Sprinkle the cranberries a little at a time as you go.
• Pour over any liquid that remains in the bowl. Roll out the second pie dough as the first. Place this dough over the apples, pressing the pie bird through the top crust. Press together the edges of the dough around the rim of the pie. Brush the top crust with the reduced juice everywhere except around the edge of the pie. Trim excess dough. Place the pie on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake on the floor of the oven for 30 minutes. Transfer to the lower rack of the oven and continue to bake another 20 minutes or until the pears are cooked through but not mushy. Remove to a rack and cool a minimum of 4 hours or until almost room temperature.

FRESH PEAR PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Add pears; toss to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes., Roll out one pie crust to fit a 9-in. pie plate; transfer to pie plate. Fill with pear mixture., Roll out remaining crust. Cut into 1/2-in.- to 1-in.-wide strips; twist strips and place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Brush milk over lattice top. Cover edges loosely with foil. , Bake at 400° for 50-60 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Remove foil. Cool on a wire rack.

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.

STREUSEL TOPPED PEAR AND BLUEBERRY PIE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Blend all purpose flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add chilled butter pieces and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
• Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Fold edges under, forming high-standing rim 3/4 inch above dish sides; crimp edges decoratively. Freeze crust 25 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake crust until light golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool while preparing filling. Maintain oven temperature.
• For filling:
• Combine pear pieces, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons orange juice and salt in large nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat until pears are tender but still hold their shape, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Transfer pear mixture to large bowl; cool to room temperature. Add blueberries, flour and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar to pears; toss gently to blend.
• Transfer filling to cooled pie crust, mounding filling slightly in center. Sprinkle with Walnut-Streusel Topping. Bake pie until juices bubble thickly, fruit is tender and streusel topping is golden brown, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool pie on rack until lukewarm. Cut pie into wedges and serve.