Double Apple + Pear Pie

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So, I've given this a lot of thought and, in ten years time, I want to be referred to as The Pie Queen.  I know it's a lofty goal, but we all need dreams, right? I've had visions lately of winning state fairs, and a beyond giant wedding pie. Or a cake disguised as a pie. I'm still working out the details.

There's just something about pie that puts me in the best mood. More than anything else I bake, pie really makes me feel like I've actually put tangible love into something to give to others. Do you ever feel like that? And apple pie is just so classic. If we try hard enough, maybe making one will speed up Fall a little bit, for what is Fall without apple pie? Just a season when everything dies, that's what.

Now, let's talk about adding a pear to your apple pie. Never in a million trillion years would I have thought of doing it, and now I can't believe that it isn't the norm. It's genius. Not only does adding a pear bring more complexity to an already pretty complex pie (due to the use of two different kinds of apples), but in the words of Pie School's author, Kate Lebo, "Your guests won't be able to tell where the flavor is coming from." You get to have a secret, and isn't that always fun? (Unless it's peanuts. Nut allergies aren't so fun. Best to let the cat out of the bag when it comes to peanuts.)

My suggestion with this pie is that you make it a hundred times before Fall and Winter are over. And if that seems like too many times, I don't know why we're friends in the first place.

Double Apple-Pear pie is at its best when served warm, and preferably with your favorite hot drink.    Throw in a scoop of freshly-made vanilla bean ice cream for good measure. Mmmm. Be right back, gonna go make one.

 

DOUBLE APPLE + PEAR PIE

What You'll Need:

  • Super Flaky Pie Crust
  • 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
  • 2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
  • 1 Bartlett pear, peeled,cored, and thinly sliced
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon (1 to 2 tablespoons)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Generous pinch of salt
  • 3 tablespoons AP flour
  • 2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • Egg white wash (1 egg white, beaten, mixed with one teaspoon water)
  • Demerara sugar for sprinkling

Directions

Make your pie crust. Chill overnight.

Roll out the bottom crust and place it in a 9 inch pie dish. Trim the edges, then refrigerate while you make the filling.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Put your apple and pear slices in a bowl, and squeeze the lemon juice evenly on top to prevent browning. Stir in the granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. This would be a good time to taste and adjust your flavors as needed. Once you've got your filling just right, add the flour and set the filling aside.

Take your bottom crust out of the refrigerator, and set aside. Roll out your top crust.

Using a slotted spoon, place the apple-pear filling in the bottom crust, gently pressing down to make sure there's enough room for all the filling. It may not look like it will all fit, but trust me it will. Pour the liquid from the filling evenly over the apples, then dot the filling with the cut up pieces of unsalted butter.

Carefully drape the top crust over your bottom crust, then trim and crimp the edges. Make sure to cut generous slits over the top crust so that there is plenty of space for steam to escape. Brush the crust with the egg white wash, then sprinkle generously with Demerara sugar.

Bake the pie in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is blond and blistered. Rotate the pie front to back, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake for an additional 35-45 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden brown and the juices are bubbling.

Cool on a wire rack for at least two hours. Serve warm.

To store: Keep the pie loosely wrapped on the counter for up to 3 days.

 

SOURCE: Pie School: Lessons in Fruit, Flour, and Butter

Meyer Lemon-Blueberry Hand Pies

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Finally, FINALLY our local grocer has stepped up their produce game and brought me something I've been wanting for months: Meyer lemons. And, while we're at it, the best blueberries I've seen all summer. Without hesitation, I plopped two of each into the cart with no immediate plan, but complete intent to make something spectacular with my purchases. I've learned my lesson too many times before; if you see it, get it, because you may never see it again. And that rings pretty true since I stopped by the store again, and those New Zealand Meyer lemons were nowhere to be seen. Maybe I didn't look around enough. Or maybe they just disappeared as quickly as they'd appeared.

At any rate, it occurred to be that the possibilities were pretty endless for my blueberry-lemon pairing, but if I really wanted to get good at making pies then I ought to make one. For once though, I just wasn't interested in a regular 9-inch pie. Instead, I wanted something with a lot more mobility, and something that could be picnic-ready if/when the occasion arose. So, I went with hand pies. I'm a gal on-the-go, and expect my pies to accommodate that!

If you're wondering how my pie skills are coming along, the quick answer is: slowly, but surely. As simple as it seems to make a pie, no matter the form, it takes a lot of practice. I still struggle with gathering dough to form the disks, which should be so simple, but it gives me so much trouble. And sometimes I handle the dough wayyyy too much, but I'm working on it. I sense a lot of practice pies in my future, and what on earth could be better than that?

Meyer Lemons are a special fruit indeed. To me they're sort of like, if a mandarin orange and the brightest lemon ever, had a baby. They're slightly sweeter than your average lemon, and bring a very unique type of citrus note to any dish you make. And since citrus and blueberries go hand-in-hand. they make these flaky, buttery hand pies a wonderful treat for any time of the day. And the most beautiful part of it all is that you can serve them warm, or pack them up in a basket and serve at room temperature.

It's always nice to have an any-time dessert literally in the palm of your hand.

You can find the recipe here at BonAppetit.com! <------ This recipe calls for a regular lemon, but a Meyer lemon works so beautifully!

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT'S AUGUST ALREADY??