A Fashionable Stitch

I took the day off work today. Recovering from a camping trip. And to help my full recovery get well underway, I baked the first of many fall-ish treats that are always made within my family. We went to the market today and I noticed that pears were looking particularly good and what could be more luscious than to usher in that first taste of Fall with the Mum Dear’s spectacular pear pie? Most people don’t know that you can make pie with pears. It’s a great treat to serve on a cold day with friends and family gathering round to complete the homey-ness of this dessert. I think you’ll enjoy it. We always did growing up. I’m quite surprised my Lil Sis hasn’t yet posted the recipe. Oh! and need I forget the exquisite and quite simple Perfect Pastry Pie Crust. A recipe stolen from a restaurant long ago when my sister and I were made to work some horrid summer job. Up at 5am every morning just to get these special tarts made for a local Shakespearean Festival. And yes, we hated every moment of it, but loved eating all the tart rejects which were made using the most heavenly crust imaginable. So we wrote down the recipe and use it still. Here’s the revenge for the waking up so early as a teenager, a secret restaurant recipe shared:

The Mum Dear’s Luscious Pear Pie

1 unbaked pie crust – bottom only, frozen or handmade (see below for Perfect Pastry Pie Crust)
1/4 Cup flour
1 Cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Cup heavy whipping cream
4 large pears, skinned, deveined and thinly sliced
Cinnamon

Fill 1/2 of the pie shell with pears. In a small bowl, stir the rest of the ingredients together (except cinnamon) and pour over pears. Sprinkle top with cinnamon.
Bake @ 425 degrees Farenheit for approximately 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Yield – 1 pie, serves 6 – 8

Perfect Pastry Pie Crust

1 1/2 Cups flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup cold butter
1/2 Cup cold margarine
Ice Cold Water

Note: A mixer or hand held mixer is required for this pastry.

In a mixer or large bowl, add all ingredients except cold water. Begin mixing on low until butter and margarine are broken up.Begin slowly adding cold water. Must be ice cold water, but do not allow ice to get into the mixture. Only 1/4 Cup or so is needed. Mix until mixture becomes a more dough-like and butter and margarine are fully mixed in. Hand mixing might be necessary at this point. If needed, add a little more flour if dough is too sticky.

Turn out half of pastry dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Roll with a rolling pin into a circle and leave dough approximately 1/4 inch thick. Fold in quarters and transfer dough into a pie dish. Trim off edges with a knife and finger press edges in ridges or use a fork to pin-prick edges.

Yield – 2 pie crusts

Mum Dear’s Pear Pie & Perfect Pastry Pie Crust