Sugar And Pear 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 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.

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.

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.

CREAMY PEAR PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss pears with sugar and flour. Combine sour cream and extracts; add to pear mixture until blended. Pour into pie shell. , In a small bowl, mix toppings ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle over pears. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 45 minutes more or until the pears are tender.

HOMEMADE PEAR PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Shape into a disk; wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight., Preheat oven to 425°. In a large bowl, toss pears with lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix flour, 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon; add to pear mixture and toss to coat., On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough into an 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust even with rim. Add filling; dot with butter., Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 45-50 minutes. Cover edges loosely with foil during the last 20 minutes if needed to prevent overbrowning. Remove foil. Cool on a wire rack.