NO PAN PEAR PIE
Instructions:
- For the dough:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup stone ground cornmeal
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, diced
- 3 tablespoons apple juice concentrate
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- For the filling:
- 2 Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 1 1/2 cups pound cake, cubed
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a food processor, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine.
- Place dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and put the bowl into the refrigerator.
- Remove 1/2 stick of butter from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
- In a food processor, add the ½ stick of butter to the flour mixture. Pulse until the fat completely disappears.
- Add the remaining chilled butter in separate batches. Pulse until flour mixture resembles the size of a pea.
- Combine the apple juice concentrate and the cold water.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the juice mixture at a time pulsing as you pour.
- After 3 tablespoons of the liquid, check the dough for consistency. It should hold together when compressed but remain relatively dry to the touch. If it does not bind, add a little more liquid.
- Remove from the processor and form the dough into a ball.
- Wrap the dough in waxed paper or parchment paper and rest in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Add pears to the pan and toss for 2 minutes.
- Add the balsamic vinegar and continue to toss for 30 seconds.
- Add sugar and cook until the pears have softened.
- Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, and the butter and melt slowly.
- Fold in the blueberries.
- Remove from heat.
- Sprinkle on the flour and combine well. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Place dough on a floured piece of parchment and roll out to a 1/4−inch thick disk.
- Transfer to a baking sheet.
- Place cubed pound cake in the middle of the dough, leaving a 3−inch margin of crust on all sides.
- Spoon filling over the cake cubes and top the pears with 1−ounce of cubed butter.
- Lift excess crust onto filling and repeat in a clockwise fashion until a top lip has formed around the edge of the whole tart.
- Brush the tart with the egg wash and sprinkle the crust with the sugar.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the filling begins to bubble and the crust is golden brown.
- Remove from the sheet pan immediately and cool on pie rack.
- Yield: 1 Pie