Very Cranberry Pear Pie Food

CRANBERRY-PEAR MOSTARDA

Steps:

• Put the dried pears in a small heatproof bowl. Cover with 1/2 cup boiling water and let stand until plump, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Toast the mustard seeds in a dry medium saucepan over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until darkened (some may start to pop), about 5 minutes. Add all but 1 cup cranberries to the pan along with the sugar, vermouth, a pinch of salt and the pears with their soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Stir in the reserved 1 cup cranberries and 1/2 cup water; simmer until the cranberries soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cooled, about 2 hours.
• Stir together the mustard powder and 1 teaspoon cold water to make a paste. Stir into the cranberry sauce. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 more hours and up to 1 week.

CRANBERRY-PECAN PEAR PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Roll out half of the pastry to fit a 9-in. pie plate; transfer pastry to pie plate., In a large bowl, combine the pears, cranberries, pecans, honey, butter, cornstarch, lemon zest and cinnamon; pour into crust. Roll out remaining pastry; make a lattice crust. Trim, seal and flute edges. Brush with milk; sprinkle with sugar. , Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 40-50 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

CRANBERRY PEAR CRISP PIE

Steps:

• Place the pears in a large bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice and vanilla. Add cranberries. Combine the brown sugar and flour; sprinkle over fruit and gently toss to coat. , Roll out crust to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer to pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges. Add filling., In a small bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling. , Bake on a lower oven rack at 375° for 55-60 minutes, covering edge loosely with foil if needed to prevent overbrowning, until filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

PEAR-CRANBERRY LATTICE PIE

Steps:

• Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and allspice. Add pears and cranberries; toss to coat. Spoon into crust; dot with butter., Roll out remaining pastry; make a lattice crust. Trim, seal and flute edges. , In a small bowl, whisk egg and milk; brush over pastry. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Cover pie loosely with foil to prevent overbrowning. , Bake at 450° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and remove foil; bake for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

CRANBERRY PEAR PIE

Steps:

• Line a 9-in. pie plate with pastry; trim and flute edges. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, syrup and butter until smooth. Add pears and cranberries; toss to coat. Spoon into crust., For topping, combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in walnuts. Sprinkle over filling. , Cover edges of crust loosely with foil to prevent overbrowning. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°. Remove foil; bake 35-40 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire 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.

CRANBERRY GINGER PEAR PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Line pie plate with crust.
• Mix the pears, cranberries, ginger, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
• Add 2/3 cup sugar and cornstarch and stir into the fruit.
• Pour the filling into the pie shell. Invert the top pastry over the filling and press the edges together. Trim the pastry flush with the edge of the pan and crimp.
• Cut several steam vents into the top OR before topping cut shapes out of crust with small cookie cutter (maple leaf and acorns shapes or holly leaf shapes are cute).
• Lightly brush on the milk and sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar (or more if desired).
• Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375. Watch crust for browning. If crust gets too dark cover with pie shield or foil. Bake until the juices bubble thickly, 25 to 30 minutes more. Cool 2 hours.

PEAR AND CRANBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cut a rectangle out of waxed paper to fit an 8x12-inch cake pan. Spray the pan with cooking spray, then place waxed paper liner over the bottom.
• Melt butter in a large skillet. Add 2 cups sugar and cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is bubbling, about 3 minutes. Add pear slices; reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and add cranberries.
• Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg together in a bowl.
• Combine remaining 2 cups sugar, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in another bowl using a hand mixer until cake batter is smooth. Gradually mix in dry ingredients until well combined. Fold in walnuts.
• Pour pear-cranberry mixture into the prepared cake pan. Use a spatula to spread cake batter evenly on top of fruit.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Place a platter on top of the cake pan and carefully flip the pan and platter over, allowing the cake to settle on the platter. Lift cake pan off and serve.

RASPBERRY-PEAR PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F Place 1 pie crust in 9-inch glass pie plate as directed on box for One-Crust Filled Pie. Reserve second crust for cutouts.
• In large bowl, gently mix pears, lemon juice and almond extract. Stir in 3/4 cup sugar and the flour. Spoon about half of pear mixture into crust-lined pie plate. Top with raspberries. Spoon remaining pear mixture over raspberries.
• Unroll second pie crust on cutting board. With floured 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut 9 rounds from second pie crust. Brush each with melted butter. Place 8 rounds, butter side up, in circle on outer edge of fruit, overlapping as necessary. Place 1 round in center. Sprinkle rounds with 1 tablespoon sugar.
• Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. After 15 to 20 minutes of baking, you may want to cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent from getting too brown.
• Cool completely, about 3 hours. Serve plain or with ice cream.

CRANBERRY PEAR CLAFOUTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 9 inch glass pie plate.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar till lightly colored.
• Whisk in the flour and half and half. Stir in the melted butter.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate.
• Arrange the pears in the batter (you can leave the pears in halves, but I cubed mine) and surround with cranberries.
• If desired, dust top with sugar and cinnamon (or whatever spices you like - I added in some allspice as well).
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or till the pears are tender and the custard is lightly browned.
• Cool slightly and serve.
• (The original recipe says this serves 6-8, but 3 of us polished it off at breakfast quite easily).

PEAR AND CRANBERRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cover cranberries with very hot water and let stand 10 minutes. Drain.
• Melt butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add pears and 1 tbsp sugar, cooking 2 to 4 minutes or until softened but not falling apart. Reserve.
• On a floured counter using a floured rolling pin, roll pastry into an approximately10 x 10-inch square. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Prick all over with a fork. Place pears in the centre of pastry and flatten them out into an even layer, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle with cranberries. Fold pastry edges up over the edge of pears. Brush edges of pastry with beaten egg, then sprinkle sugar over pastry and pears. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F (175°C) and bake another 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are puffed and golden.
• Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

CRANBERRY & PEAR PIES

Steps:

• To make the pastry, tip the flour, almonds and sugar into a food processor then pulse in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Pulse in up to 5 tbsp cold water until mixture comes together as a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hr.
• To make the filling, tip the cranberries into a pan with the sugar and cornflour and stir well. Stir in the orange curd, then cook for a few mins until thickened. Add the pears and cook a few mins more, stirring frequently. Cool.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 with a large baking sheet inside. Roll out the pastry and use to line 8 x 10cm individual Yorkshire pudding tins (or 10cm individual tart tins). Spoon in the cooled filling. Roll out the rest of the dough and stamp out 4 x 9cm rounds to make lids. Cut out the centres with a medium star cutter.
• Carefully cover half the pies with the pastry lids and place the stars on a baking tray. Crimp the edges of each pie (if using straight edged tins) with your finger and thumb, brush the pies and stars with the egg then dredge with sugar. Bake the stars for 8-10 mins and the pies for 15-20 mins until golden. Dredge with more sugar once out of the oven. Place a star on the open pies and serve with cream or ice cream.