Pear-Cranberry Lattice-Top Pie

I present to you my last (but definitely not the least) baked creation for the year 2012.

This beautiful lattice-topped pie came about, in part, because I had received a giant box full of juicy, red pears as a gift. Not a bag. Not a basket. A BOX full of, honestly, the most delicious pears I've ever eaten in my life. Not kidding. So for about a month I've been eating pears every single day. Mid-afternoon craving? Got a pear. A commercial break? Got a pear. Bored out of my mind? Got a pear.

Don't judge. They were tiny pears. They were friggin addictive.

The pie was baked, in other part, because my cousin Sam was visiting, and he really, really wanted a pie. I may yell at him, call him names, make fun of him, hit him, kick him, and tell him what to do, but I love my oppa. He's the best. So of course I had to bake him a pie.

Two pies, actually. An apple pie and a pear-cranberry pie.

It's like Sam won the genetic lottery for ridiculously kind and generous pie-baking cousins.

A lattice-topped pie looks notoriously intimidating.

For some of us, we might know where to even start. So in turn we might just resort to the old-fashioned double crust pie. Or go the good ol' single crust pecan route. Avoid the lattice. Heck, forget this whole pie thing.

Nonsense, my child.

"Weaving" a lattice into your pie turns out to be simpler than most people think. It's really fun, actually, to arrange the strips and get all hyped up all dramatically and all that.

Some tutorials tell you to arrange the lattice on a flat surface, then transfer the entire thing on top of the pie. If I did that, being an occasional klutz I am, my lattice would fall apart everywhere. I like weaving it right on the pie, and that's what I'll show you here.

I assume we all have pizza cutters at home. Or if not, a knife, for sure.

I have a nifty little plastic pizza cutter, courtesy of some credit union.

Thanks, credit union. You helped me bake pie, and you don't even know. I have my own bank though. Sorry.

Anyway, with your pizza cutter or knife, cut strips of dough from your rolled pie crust. The size depends on your preference.

As you see, mine are quite uneven...but that's all right...I reckon.

Pick your best strips of dough, and lay them vertically on top of your pie filling.

Then, mentally assign a number to each pie strip.

For example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 here.

Take your even strips (2,4,6) and gently flip them backwards.

Next, lay one horizontal strip across the top.

Just like that.

Now, take your even strips, the ones you folded over, and fold them back to their original places. So that they fall on top of the first horizontal strip.

Take your odd numbered strips (1, 3, 5), and fold them over backwards.

I get the sense you know where this is going.

I knew I was writing for smart people.

Place your second horizontal pie strip and place it across the pie.

Fold the odd numbered strips back to their vertical places.

Go on with the remaining strips until you get to the bottom of the pie.

Gently trim the ends of the pie strips...and this is how you weave a lattice onto a pie.

You can weave a more intricate lattice by using placing more vertical and horizontal strips in closer proximity to each other. Or you can slice the pie crust into thicker strips.

How you decorate the rim is entirely up to you. You can cut out shapes and glue them on with a little bit of water.

I was running a little late on time, so I just crimped the edge with a fork.

Looks good enough to eat as it is, but the pie needs a bit more rest time in the freezer.

Sweet, sugary pears and fresh, tart cranberries pair up unbelievably in this showstopper of a pie. I like this flavor contrast. I like when food elements balance each other out.

I hope your 2012 ended on an absolutely sparkling note. I hope there was family who ate your baked creations and told you they were utterly amazing. I hope there wasn't too much heartbreak but just enough to help you learn to leave behind what must. Most importantly, I wish you happiness, no matter who you are or where you are.

As always, happy baking and cheers to the new year! I promise I'll post much more yummy foods in 2013 :)



Pear-Cranberry Lattice-Top Pie

*makes one 9-inch pie*

Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 recipe Pate Brisee (see recipe below)
• 4 ripe, firm Bartlett, Bosc, or Anjou pears, about 1 3/4 pounds, cut into thin, bite-sized slices.
• 16 ounces fresh or frozen (and thawed) cranberries
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 Tbsps cornstarch
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 2 Tbsps cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg yolk, for egg wash
• 1 Tbsp heavy cream, for egg wash
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves

 Directions:

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 disk of dough to a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch deep dish pie plate (I used regular); trim dough flush with rim. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.  
2. In a bowl, toss together pears, cranberries, brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Pout into pie shell; gently press to make level. Dot with butter.
3. On a lightly floured parchment, roll out remaining disk of dough as in step 1. Roll to a 10-inch round. Then take your pizza cutter or knife and slice strips in the desired size. Weave the lattice as shown in pictures above on the pie.
4. Lightly brush lattice with egg wash. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Bake pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 90 minutes. (Tent with foil if crust browns too quickly.) Let cool on a wire rack 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat preserves in a saucepan over medium until loose. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl. Brush warm pie all over with glaze. Let pie cool completely on wire rack.

Pate Brisee

*makes enough for one 9-inch double crust pie or two 9-inch single crust pies*


Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions:

1. Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor (or whisk together by hand in a bowl). Add butter, and pulse (or quickly cut in with a pastry blender or your fingertips) until mixture resembles coarse meal, with some larger pieces remaining. Drizzle 1/4 cup water over mixture. Pulse (or mix with a fork) until mixture just begins to hold together. If dough is too dry, add 1/4 cup more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse (or mix with a fork).
2. Divide dough in half onto two pieces of plastic wrap. Gather into two balls, wrap loosely in plastic, and press each into a disk using a rolling pin. Refrigerate until firm, well wrapped in plastic, 1 hour or up to 1 day. (Dough can be frozen up to 3 months; thaw in refrigerator before using.)

Slightly adapted from Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts