All right, if you have a PIE PHOBIA, raise your hand. Okay, let’s clarify a little. Most of you are probably not afraid of EATING pie. I would assume that we all have opened the fridge at midnight, fork in hand, to sneak just a few extra mouthfuls of Grandma’s delicious homemade apple pie. Am I right? Please tell me I’m not the only one who has done that.
I’m actually just wondering who’s afraid of MAKING a pie. Pie can be daunting, if you’ve never made one before. It seems so complicated and fussy, and you start to wonder if, after all the work and effort, it’ll just be an epic fail. We’ve all been there.
So, this post is hopefully going to completely dispel those fears. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and say, “I am not afraid of pie! I am not afraid of pie!” Ready?! Here we go!
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A galette is the EASIEST way to make a pie, and I think it’s just as gorgeous as a traditional one. It’s basically a rustic, free-form pie that you bake on a sheet pan. (I like baking mine on a pizza stone.) It’s a gloriously beautiful, simple and fast way to make a pie!
This Pear-Cranberry Galette is the perfect one to practice on! The combination of cinnamon, pear and cranberry are just right for the holidays, and the colors are stunning. Simply toss the filling ingredients together, roll out the dough, mound up the filling in the middle and fold the edges over to bake. Simple. Beautiful. Delicious.
Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Eat pie!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup chilled, unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup (approx) ice water
- 4 pears
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 4 Tbsp. sugar, divided
- 3 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- Pinch salt
- Zest of one orange
- Milk
- 1 Tbsp. butter
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Combine dry ingredients in bowl.
- Cut butter in with two knives or pastry cutter until mixture is crumbly, like the size of peas.
- Add water and stir gently to incorporate with a fork. Form into a ball.
- Roll into a 13-14" circle on a floured pizza stone or cookie sheet. It's okay if the dough hangs over the edge.
- Peel, core and slice pears.
- Soak cranberries in orange juice for 15 minutes. Drain well.
- Toss pears, cranberries, walnuts, cornstarch, 2 Tbsp. sugar, salt and spices together in a bowl.
- Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. sugar in bottom of crust. Add pear mixture to crust, leaving about 2" around perimeter.
- Fold edges over pears, leaving middle open. Sprinkle pears with orange zest and dot with butter.
- Brush crust with milk and sprinkle remaining tablespoon of sugar over it.
- Bake 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Decrease temperature to 350 and bake another 20-25 minutes, until crust is golden and pears are baked through.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
2 Comments
Looks divine. The combination of pear with the tart cranberries sounds delicious. I may have found a dessert for Christmas Eve.
Yum! Looks delicious!
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com