Tom Saaristo Pear Raisin Pie

http://tomsaaristo.com

Pear Raisin Pie

This was inspired by a friend’s Raisin pie. Pears are added for added texture and another flavor.

Ingredients
1 recipe your favorite pie crust
2 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons finely chopped black walnuts mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar

For the Filling:
3 lb. firm, ripe pears, like Bartletts, peeled, cored, cut into 3/4-inch slices, and then halved
3/4 cup raisins
2/3 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch ground mace
pinch salt
1/2 cup bourbon
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Method
Position racks in the low and middle spots of the oven and set a foil-lined baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drips. Heat the oven to 425.

For the filling:
In a large saucepan, combine the pears, raisins, brown sugar, lemon zest, juice, cinnamon, cloves, mace, salt, and all but 2 tablespoon of the bourbon. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring gently until the sugar is dissolved and the pears begin to release some liquid, about 4 min. Mix the cornstarch with the remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon; add this to the pears. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and cook until the liquid is clear, about 1 minute. Cool the filling to room temperature.

To assemble:
Roll out one disk of the dough and line a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the excess to 3/4 inch from the plate's outer edge. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. Roll out the other disk and assemble the lattice as directed above. Remove the plastic from the bottom shell and fill it with the cooled pear mixture. Transfer the lattice to the pie, sealing as described above. Brush the lattice with the milk and sprinkle the nut and sugar mixture over the pie. Bake at 425 degrees F until the pears are just tender when pierced with a knife, 50 to 55 min. If the lattice browns too quickly, tent the pie with foil.