Pear Pandowdy

In preparation for Thanksgiving, I thought I would post some of the recipes that I made for our Thanksgiving with Southern Nana (and the Dresslers) plus what I will be making again for Thanksgiving!!  Well, Martha Stewart has outdone herself this time!  This dessert is primo [and watch out ladies- it isn't gonna help you cut any weight! ;) ]!!

Martha Stewart was on the Today show a while back and she made this pear pandowdy recipe (which, on a TV show, looked fairly easy).  So,  I headed to the internet and found the recipe on her website.

First, genius thinking, Martha has you make the crust in double (you freeze the 2nd 1/2 for the next time you make the dish), so you are already forced to eat this delicious dessert TWICE! :)  Way to go Martha!

Second, make sure you have a little time to make this- the 3 hours on the recipe is pretty accurate.  Not in terms of you standing in the kitchen the whole time, but in terms of cooling/freezing the crust so you can manipulate it for the patchwork crust.  Both parts (the crust and the pie) are easy to make- honestly- it is just the wait time for the crust that adds to your time.

Last, I haven't made any modifications to this recipe (a testament to the lovely Martha Stewart and her never-ceasing ability to amaze me!).  It turns out GREAT, delicious, and a true test of a good recipe:  there isn't any left after one sitting!

One note, instead of using a food processor- if you don't have one- you can use a stand mixer (it works basically the same).

Pear Pandowdy Prep: 25 minutes Total: 3 hours This pear-and-fig version of a deep-dish pandowdy trades the traditional spiced-apple filling but keeps the patchwork crust.
Ingredients Makes one 8-by-11-inch pie; serves 8. FOR THE CRUST 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup blanched hazelnuts, toasted and finely ground 1 teaspoon granulated sugar Salt 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream, for egg wash Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling FOR THE FILLING 4 pounds firm, ripe pears such as Bosc or Bartlett, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 -inch wedges 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup chopped dried figs 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg	Directions Make the crust: Pulse flour, hazelnuts, granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor until just combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. With machine running, slowly add 1/4 cup water and process until mixture just begins to hold together. If dough is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse. Shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 disk until firm, about 1 hour. (Freeze remaining disk for another use.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough to a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a piece of parchment. Cut dough into 2-by-3-inch pieces. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine pears, granulated sugar, figs, lemon juice, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Transfer filling to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish. Arrange dough pieces in a patchwork design, overlapping slightly and leaving holes in between as steam vents. Brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until top is golden brown and filling is bubbling in the center, about 55 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Copyright 2010 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

The recipe can be found here:  Martha Stewart Living- Pear Pandowdy Recipe.