Saturday, February 13, 2010

Mini Pear-Raspberry Pies














Hello everyone! First of all, I'm sorry that it's been so long since I've last posted!

In honor of Valentine's Day, our recipe for today is heart-shaped pear-raspberry pies, courtesy of good ole Martha. Whether or not you have a Valentine to make these for or just want to eat them all yourself, these pies are sure to satisfy (yummy+cute=success, always). Warning: the pie filling is super delicious, so TRY your best not to eat it all beforehand :)

Pear-Raspberry Heart Pies

For the pastry:
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. + 2 tbsp. ice water

For the filling:
2 firm, ripe Bartlett pears (1 pound), peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/3 c. fresh raspberries, coarsely chopped
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1 tbsp. heavy cream, for egg wash
sanding sugar (I used Demerara sugar)

1. Make pastry dough by combining flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Add butter chunks and use a butter knife to combine mixture untl it resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Eveny drizzle ice water over mixture and combine until it just holds together.
3. Turn dough onto plastic wrap and wrap. Shape into a disk and refrigerate until firm.
4. Make the filling by tossing pears with lemon juice. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add pears, and toss to coat. Cook, adding granulated sugar a little a time, until pears begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in nutmeg. Transfer to a bowl, and mix in raspberries.
4. Divide dough in half, and roll out each piece to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350. Drain pear-raspberry filling in a sieve. Cut out 20 hearts from dough using a 4-inch cutter, transferring them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush rims of half the hearts with egg wash, and top each with 4 heaping teaspoons filling. Top with remaining hearts, and gently press around sides to seal.
6. Brush pie tops with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.