When some people here “All Pear Pie”, some people think “Wow that sounds awesome!”, while other might think “Pears in a pie, hum, that’s interesting.”; but I think “Pears in a pie, why not!” Pie four was yet again an interesting venture, and I love that with each pie there is something new to learn.
I should call the title of the pie “All Pear Pie with Brown Sugar and Ginger” because instead of using maple I used light brown sugar and instead of using candied ginger I used a ginger spice. All the measurements worked out well this time and the pie pan was the right size for it. I think unless it asks for a larger one, I am going to stick to my 9 1/2 in. pie pan. This pie did seem a little rushed for me and I could not figure out why, but after making it I figured out why. I usually get my ingredients ready before I even start preparing the pie, but this time I didn’t. I just did a ‘prepare as you go’ kind of thing. To be honest I was not a fan of that, so lesson learned there. This pie was not as relaxing to make because of that, but I still loved it.
So the first question I had, not being an avid pear fan, was what kind of pears to use. Apparently you want to use green ripe ones. I do not remember ever cutting a pear so it was interesting to see that they have a really small core. So let me ask you this, do you know how many pears equal 7 cups of sliced pears? I did not have a clue how many I would need, so, I got about 7 pears ready for the food processor. After slicing 6 1/2 pears and having an almost full food processor bowl I stopped slicing and measured it out to be about 8 cups (A side note, if you want thicker slices when using the food processor, you need to push what you’re chopping through fast because it will make a thicker cut). So, factoring in the air space that should equal the 7 cups I needed. The pears started to turn brown after slicing so I started to freak out. Joshua saved the day by suggesting putting some lemon juice on them. I did not want to because I did not read that in the recipe yet (Another side note, right now I follow the recipes to the T, no skipping over steps and I go in order.) That idea drove me a little crazy but I did it, and of course, the pears stopped turning brown. Yeah, thanks Joshua.
While putting all of the ingredients in, I learned that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to zest a lemon that has been already cut. Joshua assisted me on the lemon zest, and we had to improvise because we did not have a zester. He had to use a small grader and that took him forever just to get a little lemon zest. Also, right after making the filling I looked at my fingernail and noticed my red nail polished was chipped. Eek! I did check the filling thoroughly and I did not find it. I hope it just washed it off into the sink…
The crust turned out great, and this will be the fifth time I’ve had to make the “Basic Flakey Crust”. I have actually got the hang of it, so this time I decided to try the top crust that Ken Haedrick calls “Lattice Top Pie”. I thought the directions that Ken gave were great, along with illustrations to help you visualize what you’re looking for. I will say that I was very nervous to do this because the crust looked overwhelming. As I said earlier, I did not read ahead this time so I ran yet again into another hick-up. I made sure the crust was rolled in a circle and ready like I have with all the other pies. Well guess what, the first thing it said was not to roll it into a circle, but a rectangle instead. Great… so, I franticly rolled it out into a “rectangle”, well close to one at least. Then there were at least four lines in the book about how to get the right measurements, and I totally did not get it. Thankfully at the end of the instructions it had language that I could get, “make sure there are at least eight strips”, got it! Were the strips even? Not even close, but I figured next time I could use the edge of a measuring board for a straighter edge. Now, after all that, I finally finished the crust and the pie was ready to go in the oven.
After cooking the pie 30 minutes, I turned the oven down and turned the pie 180° so the pie would brown evenly, and cooked it for an additional 35 minutes. After that, I took it out and let is set for two hours, the whole 2 hours.
This is a picture of my friend Jane who joined Joshua and me for the first taste of the “All Pear Pie”.
Next pie for me will be the “Louisiana Browned- Butter Pecan Pie”. Yummo!
Hello Results: Although I am not a fan of pears, it was a great pie. It looked great, and I am glad that I tried the “Lattice Top Pie” crust because it sure did look and taste great. I must prepare ingredients before I start making the pie so I don't feel so rushed. Lemon keep the pears from turning brown and I need to order a lemon zester. That makes four pies, so only 296 to go!
Hello Extra: I am not counting this as a "pie", but the same day I made the “All Pear Pie” I also made this chicken pot pie from scratch, crust and all. It was SO yummy!
Sounds wonderful, Krizty.
ReplyDeleteYUM! I love pears. I love pie. That should definitely work out for me!
ReplyDeleteJoseph got a zester recently too for his key lime angel food cake. Also YUM!
We also experimented with "lite" Belgian Waffles for the first time this morning. We learned some lessons too. But having all your ingredients/prep work done before the assembly process, is definitely a "must do."
Sounds like you're having a great time and making some great pies!! Keep on going! Love the blog!