Pear and Ginger Pie
The crust for this pie is a classic French pastry dough made with all butter,
which gives it a delicious taste with a crumbly texture. Use it for any
pie recipe. The ginger in this pie highlights the pears and adds its special
warmth to the filling. Try this pie with a dollop of freshly whipped cream
on the side.
Makes One 10-inch round pie, 12 servings
Pie dough (double crust pie):
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, chilled
7 tablespoons cold water
Filling:
5 to 6 firm ripe pears, such as Comice, Anjou, or Bosc
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons finely minced crystallized ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of ground cardamom
Glaze:
1 tablespoon milk
For the pastry dough, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a
food processor, an electric mixer, or a mixing bowl. Use the steel blade
for the food processor, the flat beater for the electric mixer or a hand-held
mixer and pulse or mix for a few seconds. Cut the butter into small pieces
and add to the mixture. In the food processor, pulse using on/off turns,
or if using the electric mixer or a hand-held mixer, blend, until the butter
is cut into very tiny pieces, about 1 minute.
With the machine on, add the cold water in a steady stream. Continue to
process or mix until the dough forms a ball or wraps itself around the blade,
about 1 minute.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator at least
2 hours before using. The dough will keep for 4 days in the refrigerator
or can be frozen for up to 4 months, if very well wrapped. If frozen, defrost
it in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using. If the pastry dough is
very cold, let it sit at room temperature until it is pliable, but not soft,
before using.
For the filling, peel, halve and core the pears. Cut the halves into 1/2
inch thick slices and place in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle on the lemon
juice and toss to coat the pear slices.
In another small mixing bowl combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar,
flour, crystallized ginger, ground ginger, ground cloves, and ground cardamom
and toss to blend well. Add this mixture to the pears and gently stir to
coat the pears.
Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F/220 degrees C. Roll
out half of the pie dough on a lightly floured, smooth work surface to a
large circle, about 12 inches in diameter. Carefully roll the pie dough
around the rolling pin, then gently unroll the dough into a 10 inch round
pie pan. Gently lift up the edges of the pie dough and fit it to the bottom
and against the sides of the pan. Transfer the filling to the pie shell.
Roll out the remaining half of the pie dough on a lightly floured, smooth
work surface to a large circle, about 13 inches in diameter. Use a pastry
brush to dampen the edges of the lower crust. Transfer the top crust to
the pie and trim off any large edges. Pinch the edges of both crusts together
and shape them into a fluted edge. Use a sharp knife to make several slits
in the top crust.
Place the pie on a jelly roll pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature
to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C and bake another 45 minutes, until the crust
is golden and the filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and cool on
a rack. The pie will keep for 3 days wrapped in aluminum foil at room temperature.