Pear Pomegranate Pie

I've had this recipe sitting in my to-bake box since 2009 when it first came out on the NYTimes. I know a few other people had tried it out, but it somehow never made the priority list, especially as I have two other reliable, delicious pear pies under my belt. In a pie frenzy prior to Thanksgiving, however, I wouldn't rest until I had made it. I used Odwalla pomegranate limeade for the filling, and ended up not quite following the instructions as far as the molasses was concerned. In the end, two of the three people I shared it with raved about it, but the Robber (the third, and perhaps most honest) said, "I can't tell if it is supposed to taste sophisticated or if it is a little bit burned." And in the end I have to agree. It wasn't bad. It was interesting. But I think unless it is the wintertime I'll be sticking to my other pear pie recipes for now.

Note: I don't see the point of ever pre-cooking pears for a pie. They soften beautifully and when I attempted to pre-cook them for this pie and for a scone recipe a while back (which I didn't blog because it failed so epically), I found the pears too be way too mushy and to release too much fluid, whereas using them raw produced a tender, less soupy product. If I make this again, I will disregard the instructions to pre-cook, omit the butter, and just stir my pears up in the molasses, sugar and spices. 

Originally from the NYTimes, but my link is from PieLoveYou:

http://pieloveyou.blogspot.com/2010/12/pear-pomegranate-pie-47.html

Ingredients:

For the pomegranate molasses:

4 C. pomegranate juice

1/2 C. sugar

1 T. lemon juice (omit if using Odwalla pomegranate limeade)

For the crust:

1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

10 T. unsalted high-fat butter, chilled and cut into pieces

2-5 T. ice water

For the filling:

4 Bosc pears, peeled and cored

4 Anjou pears, peeled and cored (can also use Bartlett or red)

6 T. pomegranate molasses

3 T. unsalted butter

3 T. tapioca (I used flour)

3/4 C. light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

For the pomegranate molasses:

1. Place the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.

2. Reduce the heat to med-low and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 1/2 C., about 50 min.

3. Remove from heat and allow to cool in saucepan for 30 min. Transfer to glass jar and cool completely before covering and refrigerating for up to 6 months.

For the crust:

1. Mix together flour and salt. Cut in (or use a food processor to combine) butter until small pieces are formed. Add ice water 1 T. at a time until dough just holds together.

2. Form dough into a ball, wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

For the filling and assembly:

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Slice pears. Bring 3 T. molasses to boil in large skillet over med-high heat. Simmer for approx 2 min until molasses thickens.

3. Arrange half the pears in a single layer in the skillet. Add 1 1/2 T. butter to pears. Cook, turning occasionally, until pears are well caramelized on all sides, about 5 minutes.

4. Scrape pears and molasses into a bowl. Add tapioca and toss to combine. Repeat cooking process with remaining molasses, butter and pears. Add the second batch of pears to the first.

5. Stir in sugar, ginger and salt.

6. Roll out crust. Add pear filling to bottom crust in pie plate and the add top crust either as a complete crust or as a lattice.

7. Place pie on on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 min.

8. Reduce the heat to 350F and bake for an additional 30-45 minutes until pears are tender and crust is golden brown. Serve after the pie has cooled at least 30 min. 

Pear Butterscotch Pie

My Blogger everything just changed and I don't know how to find my dashboard anymore. Ah well. This pie came and went in a blink of an eye, made for a Saturday evening picnic with Team M the night before M went into labor. I'm hoping the pie wasn't the cause of Baby E. wanting to get out. The thing about this pie was that it was very, very good but the pear and the butterscotch were distinct from each other as opposed to making some whole unified flavor. I can't decide if I love it enough to make it over apple pie, but it was delicious and different from the other pear pie recipe on this blog which I have now made multiple times. 

Notes: The crust recipe was enough like my own crust recipe that I won't post it here, just note that I added 2 T. sugar to the usual crust and used butter instead of shortening, as I like butter better with the pears. I also peeled the pears and then macerated them in about 1/2 C. lemon juice + 1/2 C. sugar in a strainer to allow the juices out. Then I slowly mixed in about half of the brown sugar mixture in with the fruit while still in the strainer for additional liquid removal and I thought the pie was the right amount of juicy. Not too liquidy on the first day and perfect the second day. I also sprinkled the top with turbinado sugar, so good! If I make this again I think I will double the spices (why I didn't this time who knows) and macerate the pears the same way again.

From A Hint of Honey:

http://www.ahintofhoney.com/2010/01/pear-butterscotch-pie.html

Ingredients:

1 recipe unbaked pie crust

For the filling:

3 T. all-purpose flour 

1 tsp. cinnamon 

1/4-1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg

1/8 tsp. salt 

1/2 C. packed dark brown sugar 

2 1/2 lb. firm-ripe Bartlett pears (about 6), peeled, cut into 6-8 wedges, and cored 

1 T. fresh lemon juice 

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

1 T. unsalted butter, cut into bits 

Optional for topping of the pie:

1 large egg, beaten + 1 Tbsp. warm water 

1 tablespoon organic cane sugar

Directions:

1. Prepare pie dough and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and brown sugar, making sure break up any lumps. Add the pears, lemon juice, and vanilla and gently toss to coat. Let stand 5 to 15 minutes to macerate fruit (see Notes above.)

3. Roll out prepared pastry dough on a lightly floured surface into two 13-inch rounds. Fit one half into the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish, trimming the edges if necessary.

4. Transfer the filling to the shell. Top with the second rolled out pastry, trim, and pinch the edges to seal. Lightly brush the top with some of the egg wash. Using a sharp knife cut three long vents in the top. Sprinkle the crust with sugar. 

5. Place pie on hot baking sheet and bake in 425F oven for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 F and continue baking until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 30-40 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before slicing.  

Pear, Gorgonzola, and Mesclun Salad

Mesclun, according to Wikipedia, is just essentially mixed greens. In case you were wondering.

Salad and I have a little bit of a love-hate relationship. Truth is, I love salad and hate lettuce. I don't know where this came from. The salad of my youth was a side dish and was simple-- iceberg lettuce, tomato, cucumber, possibly some radishes-- and I was happy with that. But the salads of my adulthood have become more complex, cumbersome affairs that I am more likely to want to eat as a main dish rather than as part of a whole meal.

As a result, if a salad is as simple as this one, I find it lacking which is really too bad because the simplicity of this salad is nice-- just pear, gorgonzola, lettuce. And even that would have been too fancy for the old family budget. Yet, I want it to have chicken, toasted walnuts, and chopped dried apricots.

Because I think that salad-- meaning the below plus the above-- would be divine.

Note: I made a half-batch, and lacking vinaigrette, tossed a teensy amount of orange oil with some olive oil and a little nutmeg over it all which was just fine, and maybe drove the wanting for apricots.

From Mark Bittman's Thanksgiving in three hours:
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/19/dining/the-minimalist-give-thanks-in-three-hours-from-scratch.html?pagewanted=4&src=pm

Ingredients:

4 large pears, about 2 pounds
1 T. lemon juice
6 oz. Gorgonzola or other creamy blue cheese
12 C. mixed greens, washed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces

1 to 1 1/2 cups any vinaigrette

Directions:

1. Peel and core the pears; cut them into thin slices, and toss with the lemon juice. Cover, and refrigerate until needed.

2. Crumble the Gorgonzola into small bits; cover and refrigerate until needed.

3. To serve, toss the pear, cheese and greens together with as much dressing as desired. Serve immediately.

Yield: 12 servings.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 215 calories, 15 grams fat, 11 milligrams cholesterol, 425 milligrams sodium, 4 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrate.

Citrus Pear Pie

I have had my eye on this recipe now for a few months, and a belated spring Easter dinner with Bob seemed the perfect time to try it out, especially with Bob around to help zest the lemons. He is a natural zester. Who knew?

I used my standard pie crust, but include their pie crust recipe just for future reference. This website is really into cold corn oil in their crusts. Maybe some day I'll be tempted to try it out, but for now I'm happy with my pie crust and Bob is happy with it so I don't feel like rocking the boat.

This is from the same place I got the boozy Liz banana pie recipe. They make a convincing argument in favor of pear pies. I have never even had a pear pie before and they list at least five different recipes! Very strange. The website advises using Anjou and Bartlett pears, but not too ripe! If you use Bartlett, you have to use more thickening as they are juicier. I used three Anjou and three red pears, just for effect. Here's the link:

http://everythingpies.com/citrus-pear-pie.html

The red pears were so pretty in the final baked pie. What is funny about this pie is that the Robber loved it more than I did. Since when does that happen for a fruit pie? He raved about it. It was good, light, and yet with an interesting flavor but wasn't my favorite fruit pie. None-the-less, because the Robber loved it so much I will be making it again. If I make it again I think I will increase the zest, add just a little bit of lime zest, macerate the pears first, and then boil down the released juices and add them back in so that the pie retains more of the lemon flavor. I also baked the pie for much longer than the recommended time (for an hour at the lower temperature) and I think I would do this again as the pears, which were firm and crunchy before baking, were the perfect softness with the longer baking time.

Ingredients:

Pie crust (makes one double crust)

3 C. all-purpose flour

4 T. sugar

1/4 C. ice cold water

1/4 C. cold corn oil

1/2 tsp. fine salt

1 C. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter

1/8 tsp. fresh lemon zest

Pie filling:

3 pounds pears (about 6 pears)

1/2 C. fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1/4 tsp. fresh lemon zest

2/3 C. sugar

2 T. all-purpose flour

2 T. tapioca flour (I just used 2 T. more all-purpose flour)

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

pinch of salt

1 T. cold unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Prepare the pastry: Roll the pastry and line a 9-inch pie plate with the bottom crust. Roll out the remaining dough for the top crust. Chill the pastry.

2. Preheat the oven to 425° F.

3. Pour the fresh-squeezed lemon juice in the bottom of a large bowl. Add your lemon zest to the bowl. Peel, halve and core the pears with a melon baller or corer. Be sure to remove the fiber in the center of the pear. Slice them evenly about a 1/4 inch thick into the bowl, coating them with the lemon juice as you go.

4. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, tapioca flour, cardamom, ginger and salt. Add them to the pears just before you want to bake the pie, mix gently and then taste a pear slice. Add more sugar to taste as needed.

5. Scrape the filling into the bottom crust, dot with butter and cover it with the second crust. Trim and crimp the crust; chill the pie for 10 minutes in the freezer. Cut vent slits in the top crust. It is your option to sprinkle it with sugar or brush the top with egg white.

6. Bake the pie on a baking sheet for 10 minutes or until the crust looks dry, blistered, and blonde. Turner the oven down to 375°F, and bake for at least 30 minutes more or until the crust is golden brown, and visible juices are thickened and bubble slowly through the slits in the top crust. Check if the bottom crust has darkened. If not bake a little more and cover the top crust, so it does not burn.

7. Cool the pie completely before cutting at least a few hours. Serve it at room temperature. Store the pie uncovered in a cool place up to three days.

Maple Creme Flan With Maple-Glazed Pears

Traditionally I have not very much cared for flan-- as although it is very creamy, the crust of the flan always left me with a funny after taste and the texture was not always my favorite. But as of late, I am not one to swear off foods unless I have gotten a crack at making them myself-- the exception being egg dishes. I still have no taste for eggs. So when I found this flan recipe on Epicurious I resolved to make it and, after purchasing a rather large bottle of maple syrup some time ago, decided to make it for the Robber as our dessert for his visit. The Robber, having eaten many flans during his time in Brazil, is not a big flan fan but I find if I am wily I can win him over on most things, as I did with this recipe. After consuming it, he said, "This is the best flan I have ever eaten!" and went on to rank the flan above most desserts, but still below coconut cream pie.

I liked the flan too, although the texture problems still weren't fixed for me. What I really liked too were the pears-- with I think stand alone nicely by themselves if you reduced the sauce and made it into more of a caramel (as the sauce here is rather thin)-- or could be served with icecream or angel food cake or in a mix with other fruits.

Per the reviewers, I increased the eggs and did not cover my flan with foil. I also increased the baking time at the lower temp by ten minutes. All together, my flan set up quite well and I am happy with the results. It was quite easy to make and the individual steps not that time-consuming, but the overall time might be prohibitive. I'll keep it in my repertoire, certainly, especially until/if I ever find another flan the Robber likes.

Ingredients:

Flan

1 cup pure maple syrup
3 1/2 cups whipping cream (I used 2/3 cream, 1/3 half and half)
7 large egg yolks (I used 8 egg yolks)
1/8 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup

Pears

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 ripe Bartlett pears, unpeeled, quartered, cored (I used four pears, the sauce is thin)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

For flan:

1) Simmer maple syrup in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 7 minutes. Stir in cream; return to simmer.

2) Whisk egg yolks in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Whisk in salt. Strain custard into another large bowl. Cover and chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

3) Preheat oven to 300°F. Stir sugar, 1/4 cup water, and light corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 6 minutes. Pour syrup into 9 1/4x5 1/4x3-inch nonstick metal loaf pan, tilting pan carefully to coat sides. Let stand 10 minutes.

4) Pour custard into pan with syrup. Place loaf pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of loaf pan. Cover roasting pan with foil. Pierce foil all over with fork. (I did not not use foil.) Bake flan 1 hour 45 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 325°F. Uncover and bake until flan is set around edges but center moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour longer. Remove flan from water. Transfer to rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

For pears:

1) Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt butter in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange pears, 1 cut side down, in skillet. Cook until brown, about 4 minutes. Turn onto second cut side and cook until brown, about 4 minutes longer. Stir in maple syrup; bring to boil. Place in oven and bake until pears are tender, about 25 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to plate. Whisk crème fraîche and salt into sauce in skillet. Return pears to skillet and toss to coat.

Run sharp knife around edge of flan to loosen. Invert flan onto platter. Surround with pears and sauce.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Maple-Creme-Flan-with-Maple-Glazed-Pears-107327#ixzz1Fvpz8D4n