Rustic Pear Pie Recipes

RUSTIC PEAR TART

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into a 14-in. circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; set aside., In a large bowl, combine the pears, cherries and vanilla. Combine 3 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and ginger; sprinkle over pear mixture and stir gently to combine. Spoon over pastry to within 2 in. of edges; sprinkle with walnuts. Fold edges of pastry over filling, leaving center uncovered., Beat egg white and water; brush over folded pastry. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Using parchment, slide tart onto a wire rack to cool.

RUSTIC PEAR PIE

Steps:

• To make the pastry, put the 225g flour, caster sugar, salt and butter into a mixing bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the ingredients together until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Add 1 egg, then bring the pastry together with your hands. (If it's too dry, add a little cold water; if it's too wet, add a little more flour.) Wrap the pastry in cling film, then chill in the fridge for 30-40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4 and line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Put the pears into the cleaned mixing bowl and toss with the brown sugar, cinnamon and 1 tbsp flour.
• Remove the pastry from the fridge and discard the cling film, then roll out on a lightly floured surface to form a rough circle (about 5mm thick, 35cm diameter). Carefully lift the pastry onto the prepared baking sheet, then arrange the pears in the middle, leaving an 8-9cm border. Using the sides of the baking paper to help lift the pastry, fold the sides up and over the pears. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg, then bake for 40 minutes or until golden.
• Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar, with a blob of whipped cream.

RUSTIC PIES/GALETTES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
• Stir together the prepared fruit, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, and spices and/or seasonings in a large bowl until combined.
• On a well-floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a large circle, about 12 to 14 inches. Make sure the rolled dough is chilled. Spoon the fruit mixture onto the center of the dough leaving a 1-inch border. Fold the edges of the dough over the fruit, pleating the dough, then dot the fruit filling with the butter pieces. Lightly brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar.
• Bake the pie until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Cover the crust with foil if the crust browns too quickly. Cool.
• Serve the warm galette with ice cream.
• Cook's Note: The same recipe can be made in individual serving sizes.
• To make pie dough:
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour and the salt; cut or work the butter into the flour with your fingers or a pastry blender until you have large pea sized chunks scattered throughout. Alternatively, pulse the dough in a food processor, or mix in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on low speed.
• Add the ice water slowly while stirring with a fork, or in the food processor or mixer, until just combined. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Divide the dough into 2 disks, flatten and refrigerate each for at least 15 minutes.
• Roll out one chilled pie dough to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Reserve the second pie dough disc for another use. Transfer dough to pie plate, pressing the dough lightly into the plate; trim the edges. Dock the dough with the prongs of a fork evenly over the bottom of the pie plate. Line the docked dough with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
• Bake the pie crust until the edges are brown and golden, about 15 minutes Remove from the oven and remove the weights. Return crust to the oven to finish baking for another 5 minutes.
• Rustic Pie/Galette Variations:
• Almond Apricot: Season the sliced apricots with almond paste or extract.
• Spiced-Apple Pear: Season the sliced apples and pears with cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar.
• All-Berry: Fill the baked crust with pastry cream and top with sweetened berries.
• Caramelized Onion and Walnut: Caramelize 4 Spanish onions; let cool. Top the dough with grated Gruyere cheese and spread the onions and toasted walnuts over the cheese.

RUSTIC PEAR TART

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the bottom blade, add the whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, and the salt and pulse 3 to 4 times to combine. Add in the diced cold butter, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon ginger, and pulse at 3 to 4 second intervals for 6 to 10 times until the mixture resembles sand. Add in the butter milk and pulse until a dough ball forms. Remove from the food processor onto a lightly floured board. Roll the dough into an oval, approximately 16 by 14 inches. Rough edges are okay, but you can trim decoratively if desired. Transfer to a silicone or parchment lined baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons flour, sugar, and the remaining spices and mix well. Toss this flour mixture with the pears, gently coating. Pile the pear mix in the center of the tart dough, leaving a 3 to 4-inch border, and then fold the edges up and around the pears, leaving an opening in the center. Crimp any breaks in the dough. Place the baking sheet with tart into the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour.
• Remove, allow to cool. Serve at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream.

RUSTIC PEAR AND APPLE GALETTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Mix the flour, sugar and salt.
• Add the cold butter and cut with a pastry cutter until crumbly.
• Slowly add the ice water just until it comes together in a dough.
• Loosely gather the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate while prepping fruit.
• Thinly slice the apples and pears and toss with lemon juice, brown sugar, flour and spices.
• Take the dough out and gently pat onto a lightly greased pizza pan or baking sheet.
• Lay the fruit out in overlapping circles or rows in the middle of the pastry.
• Fold up the edges to create a rim, pinching the dough together where it meets.
• Dot with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
• Bake for 50 minutes or until browned and crispy on the bottom.
• Serve with ice cream or topped with whip cream.

CINNAMON-PEAR RUSTIC TART

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix flour and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Shape into a disk; wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight., Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add pears and cinnamon; cook and stir until tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir in cider and brown sugar. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in vanilla; cool slightly., On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 14-in. circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet., Spoon filling over crust to within 2 in. of edge. Fold crust edge over filling, pleating as you go and leaving an opening in the center. Brush folded crust with water; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbly, 45-50 minutes. Transfer tart to a wire rack to cool.

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.

RUSTIC PEAR AND BLUE CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.
• In large bowl, toss all ingredients except pie crust, blue cheese and honey. Set aside.
• Unroll pie crust onto cookie sheet. Spoon pear mixture onto center of crust, spreading to within 2 inches of edge. Dot blue cheese pieces over pears. Fold edge of crust up over pears.
• Bake 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Drizzle honey over tart. To serve, cut into wedges.

RUSTIC CRANBERRY-PEAR GALETTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat pizza pan or baking sheet with nontstick cooking spray, then set aside.
• Set aside 1 teaspoon sugar, then, in a medium bowl, combine remaining sugar, cornstarch & cinnamon, blending well.
• Add pears, cranberries & vanilla extract & toss to coat.
• Remove crust from pouch, then unfold it, remove plastic sheets & place it on the prepared baking sheet.
• Spoon pear mixture in center of crust to within 2 inches of the edge.
• Fold edge of crust 2 inches over pear mixture & crimp slightly.
• In a small bowl, combine egg white & water & whisk until well blended.
• Brush egg wash onto outer edges of pie crust & sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar.
• Bake 25 minutes or until pears are tender & crust is golden brown. If edges brown too quickly, covere with foil after 15 minutes of baking.
• Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes.

RUSTIC AUTUMN FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Cut the cold butter and cream cheese into the flour with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (This can also be done in a food processor: pulse the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles cornmeal; add the cream cheese and pulse until it's the size of small peas.) When you squeeze a handful of the mixture, it should form a ball. Shape the dough into a round disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Toss the sliced apples and pear with the orange juice. Whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cornstarch. Toss the fruit with the sugar-spice mixture and set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Set out an 8-inch tart pan, or, if you'll be making a free-form tart (galette), lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface to form a 10-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the tart pan or baking sheet. Arrange the fruit decoratively in the tart pastry. If you're baking the tart on a baking sheet, leave a 2-inch rim of dough and fold it up over the edge of the fruit (the pastry folds will overlap).
• Bake the tart in the preheated oven until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and brush it with the apricot jam.