Pear Raisin Pie
If you don't have any bourbon on hand, use brandy or skip the alcohol altogether.

Ingredients
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1 recipe Classic Pie Crust
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2 tablespoons milk
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3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar
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3 pounds firm, ripe pears, like Bartletts, peeled, cored, cut into 3/4-inch slices, and then halved
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3/4 cup raisins
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2/3 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
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1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
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2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
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1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
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Pinch ground mace
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Pinch salt
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1/2 cup bourbon
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3 tablespoons cornstarch
Classic Pie Crust
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11-1/4 ounces (2-1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
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1 tablespoon sugar
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/4 pound (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
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1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
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2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
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3 ounces (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) very cold water
Directions
1.
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 degrees F.
2.
In a large saucepan, combine the pears, raisins, brown sugar, lemon zest, juice, cinnamon, cloves, mace, salt, and all but 2 tablespoons 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.
3.
Meanwhile, 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. Remove the plastic from the bottom shell and fill it with the cooled pear mixture. Transfer the lattice to the pie, sealing the edges. 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.
Classic Pie Crust
1. Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse briefly to combine. Add the butter and shortening; pulse just until coarse crumbs form, about 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice and water. Pulse just until moist crumbs form. Turn the dough onto a work surface and gently shape it into two equal disks about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
2. For a one-crust pie--Roll one disk of dough between two large pieces of lightly floured parchment. Roll into a 14-inch-diameter round that's 1/8 inch thick. Remove the top sheet of parchment. Gently roll the dough around the pin and position the pin over the pie pan. Unroll, gently easing the dough into the pan, gently but firmly pressing the dough against the sides and bottom, taking care not to pull or stretch. With scissors, trim the edge of the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch margin from the outer edge of the pan. Tuck this dough under to shape a high edge crust that rests on top of the rim. Pinch-crimp the crust.
3. For blind baking--Follow the steps for a one-crust pie (above). Freeze the crust for at least 30 min. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line the frozen crust with a large piece of foil, fill with pie weights (or dried beans or rice), and bake 12 min. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking the shell until golden, about 8 minutes longer, checking for bubbles (push them down gently with the back of a spoon).
4. For a double crust--Roll out one disk of dough as for a one-crust pie and line a 9-inch pie pan, leaving the excess hanging over the side. Cover loosely with plastic while you roll out the other disk between parchment. Load the filling into the shell. Brush the edge of the bottom crust with water. Roll the top crust around the pin and position it over the pie. Gently unroll, centering the dough over the filling. Press the edges together and, with scissors, trim both crusts so they're 1/2 inch larger than the outer edge of the pie pan. Tuck this dough under to shape a high edge crust that rests on top of the rim. Pinch-crimp as in the photo. With a paring knife, slash two or three vent holes in the top crust and bake following the recipe directions.
5. For a lattice crust--Roll out one disk of dough as for a one-crust pie and line a 9-inch pie pan, leaving the excess hanging over the sides. Cover loosely with plastic while you roll out the other disk between parchment into a rectangle that's slightly larger than 14x9 inches. Remove the top sheet of parchment. Trim the dough to an exact 14x9-inch rectangle. Cut 12 strips that are 14 inches long and 3/4 inch wide. If the dough gets soft, slide the parchment and dough onto a baking sheet and chill briefly before continuing. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, arrange 6 strips horizontally, setting them 3/4 inch apart; these will be the "bottom" strips. Set the rest aside on a separate piece of parchment; these will be the "top" strips.
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Recommended Recipe:
Bills Pear Pie
This wonderful fruit pie recipe was handed down from a fellow named Bill who clipped it out of a newspaper some 20 years ago. Year after year Bill brought his Pear Pie to family reunions and gatherings and it became known as Bill's Pear Pie.
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