Pear And Lemon Pie With Pate Brisee Crust Recipes

PEAR-AND-LEMON PIE WITH PATE BRISEE CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack in center and a large sheet of foil on rack below. In a large bowl, gently combine pears, sugar, lemon peel, cornstarch, lemon juice, salt, and nutmeg.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch pie dish. Pour filling into pie shell; dot butter over top. Roll out second disk of dough to a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Drape over filling. Trim overhang to 1 inch; press to seal, then tuck under and crimp. Brush top with beaten egg. Cut 5 leaf-shaped vents in top crust. Insert cinnamon stick in center as a stem. Freeze 30 minutes.
• Bake until crust is golden on bottom and juices are bubbling in center, 1 hour, 15 minutes to 1 hour, 30 minutes (if browning too quickly, tent top or edge with foil). Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 4 hours. Cut into slices to serve.

PATE BRISEE (PIE DOUGH)

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
• With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

PEAR-FIG-WALNUT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F, with a rack in the lower third. Bring the wine, figs, and star anise to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until the figs are softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the figs to a large bowl. Cook the mixture in the pan over medium-high heat until reduced to a syrup, about 3 minutes; discard the star anise. Pour the syrup over the figs.
• Meanwhile, roll out 1 dough disk on floured parchment to make a 13-inch circle; start with pressure in the center and ease up just before reaching the edges. Drape the dough over the rolling pin; center over a 9-inch glass pie plate, and unroll. Gently push into the plate. Trim to leave a 1/4-inch overhang; refrigerate. Roll out the second disk. Cut out a vent with a cookie cutter, and refrigerate the cutout.
• Add the pears, nuts, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and cornstarch to the figs; stir until well combined. Spoon into the pie plate (pile high in the center). Dot with the butter; lightly brush the rim of the dough with water. Drape the second disk over the pin; center over the filling. Gently press around the filling to fit; trim to leave a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold the edge of the top crust under the bottom one; crimp to seal. Brush water on the bottom of the cutout; press onto the top crust. Beat the yolk with the cream; brush over the crust. Sprinkle with sugar; freeze until very firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake on a baking sheet until just golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F. Bake, rotating halfway through, until bubbling, and the bottom crust is deep golden brown, about 1 hour. (If the edges brown too quickly, cover with a foil ring.) Let cool on a wire rack.