Autumn Pear~Cranberry Pie

A few years ago, I had a fetish for collecting pears to the point of one Christmas I made over fifty in paper mache' to decorate our tree (they're packed away!)  I even baked gingerbread pears, along with some partridges, and placed them on this beautiful platter my daughters gave me for the holidays.

Today, I was having a yearning for something pear and a pie was my choice--actually, my hubby's who loves pie, even better than cake.

It's another one of those fall fruits that often takes second place behind apple and pumpkin, but I think it deserves it's rightful place, right along side. My grandson, Ari agrees;

from the time Ari was big enough to eat pears, it's been one of his favorites.  Here he is at almost 8 months...

...and enjoying one as a snack with the last hike he took with his mama, April 2010.

When I joined him and his dad for apple picking a few years ago, Ari headed right for the pear tree! He's definitely as much a pear lover as I am:-D

Perfect Pie Dough
4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 3/4 cup shortening
1/2 ice cold water
1 large egg
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, first mix all the dry ingredients.  Then, add the shortening, while the mixer is running, a tablespoon at a time.  Finally, mix all the wet ingredients together in a 2 cup measure and again, while the mixer is running add them slowly.

 Transfer all the dough to a lightly floured board and knead until smooth.

 Shape into a log and cut in half, then half again.

Flatten each one to a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.  Place in the refrigerator to chill several hours, but the best thing about this dough (besides no matter how many times you roll it out, it remains so flakey!) it freezes beautifully for up to 6 months.

You can make up pie dough now and have plenty on hand for Thanksgiving and the holidays.

Autumn Pear~Cranberry Pie
8-10 pears (I used a mixture of Bartlett and Bosc)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup Pie Filling Enhancer
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 tsp. ground cardamon
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Peel, core and slice pears.  

This is my favorite Pear Slicer I got free by sending in a sales receipt a few years ago to the National Pear Organization.

 Place in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients (you can substitute the Pie Filling Enhancer for 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch (cornflour). Mix gently with a spatula.

Preheat oven to 400F-degrees.  Roll out one of the disks of dough and place in a 9-inch pan.  Flute edges if desired, then add the filling.  In lieu of a top crust, I cut out leaves and a pear to top the fruit with.  I also sprinkled some green sugar on top, but honestly, it looks a little weird and I think next time, I'll stick to my usual plain sugar:-D

My latest gadget...wish I had thought of it.  The perfect under the pie shield.  The center keeps the pie plate elevated so heat is distributed evenly...and it catches the spills of all your fruit pies!

Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375F-degrees and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes more, covering the edges with a shield if they're browning too quickly.

Bubbling juices and the intoxicating aroma of vanilla and pear, made it hard to wait for it to cool completely.  Now, if I just had some vanilla ice cream--oh well, I'll savor the simple enjoyment of warm pie on this cool night. Enjoy!