Junipear Pie

4 from 1 ratings

This pear and juniper berry pie from the Four and Twenty Blackbirds cookbook is filled with tender, sweet pears and the fresh, floral flavor of the juniper berry.

Servings

servings

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, cut into half-inch pieces
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup ice
1 lemon
1/2 orange
7 medium pears
1/2 cup plus two tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon dried juniper berries
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup honey
egg wash (a large egg whisked with a teaspoon water and a pinch of salt)
demerara sugar, for finishing

Directions

Stir the flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the butter pieces and coat with the flour mixture using a bench scraper or spatula.
With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture, working quickly until mostly pea-size pieces of butter remain (a few larger pieces are okay; be careful not to over blend).Combine the water, cider vinegar, and ice in a large measuring cup or bowl.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the ice water mixture over the flour mixture and mix and cut it in with a bench scraper or spatula until it is fully incorporated.
Add more of the ice water mixture, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, using the bench scraper or your hands (or both) to mix until the dough comes together in a ball, with some dry bits remaining.
Squeeze and pinch with your fingertips to bring all the dough together, sprinkling dry bits with more small drops of the ice water mixture, if necessary, to combine.
Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, to give the crust time to mellow.
Wrapped tightly, the dough can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 1 month.
Have ready and refrigerated one pastry-lined 9-inch pie pan and pastry round or lattice to top.
Juice the lemon and orange into a large bowl, removing any seeds.
Prepare the pears using an apple-peeling machine, or core, peel, and thinly slice them with a sharp knife or on a mandoline until you have about 5 cups sliced.
Dredge the slices in the lemon and orange juice.
Sprinkle lightly with 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar.
Set aside to soften slightly and release some of the juices, 20 to 30 minutes.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, combine the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar, flour, juniper berries, cinnamon, salt, and lemon zest; process until the juniper berries are chopped and fragrant.
To remove any remaining large pieces of juniper berry, shake the sugar mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.
Leaving behind any excess juice, transfer the pears to the bowl together with the sugar mixture, add the honey, and toss to combine.
Tightly layer the pears in the prepared pie shell so that there are minimal gaps, mounding them slightly higher in the center.
Arrange the lattice or pastry round on top and crimp as desired.
Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to set the pastry.
Meanwhile, position the oven racks in the bottom and center positions, place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Brush the pastry with the egg wash to coat, and sprinkle with the desired amount of demerara sugar.
Place the pie on the rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is set and beginning to brown.
Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F, move the pie to the center oven rack, and continue to bake until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes longer.
Test the pears with a skewer or sharp knife; they should be tender.
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours.
Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
The pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temperature for 2 days.