PEAR-RASPBERRY HEART PIE

Pear-Raspberry Heart Pie image

This basic recipe can be used to make one of two designs. The first is a shingled, layered crust formed from hearts made out of pie dough. The second is a bit simpler but equally appealing, with shapes cut out from the top crust, offering a window to what's within. Baking times are the same for either variation.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Pie & Tarts Recipes

Yield Makes one 9-inch double-crust pie

Number Of Ingredients 13

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Ingredients

Pate Brisee
All-purpose flour, for surface
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 pounds (about 6) ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, core removed, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) raspberries
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon water, plus more for brushing
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Steps:

On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 disk of dough to a 13-inch circle, 1/8 inch thick. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie dish, and trim edges, leaving a 1/4-inch overhang, and refrigerate. Reserve scraps. Roll out second disk to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out 48 2-inch hearts, using scraps from bottom crust if necessary. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm.
Whisk together granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add pears, raspberries, and lemon juice, and toss to coat. Spoon mixture into pie shell, piling high in the center. Dot with butter. Tuck overhang under dough so edges are flush with rim. Brush lightly with water. Arrange 22 hearts around edge of pie: Press hearts gently on edge, alternating direction and overlapping slightly. (To help hearts stick, lightly brush each with water as needed.) Repeat, overlapping 16 hearts for the second circle. Repeat, overlapping 10 hearts, points in, for the final circle. (The hearts' points will create a star-shaped vent in the center, about 1 1/2 inches wide.) Whisk yolk and water in a small bowl. Lightly brush entire piecrust with egg wash, then sprinkle with sanding sugar.
Alternatively, make the cut-out-heart pie: Following the directions in step one, leave the top crust whole and cut out hearts in center of dough using heart cutters in varying sizes. Transfer top crust to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm. Prepare the filling as in step 2, but do not tuck overhang under dough. Brush edge of shell lightly with water, then drape top crust over filling, centering design. Gently press dough around filling to fit, and trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Tuck overhang under bottom crust so edges are flush with rim, then crimp edges. Whisk yolk and water in a small bowl. Lightly brush entire piecrust with egg wash, then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Transfer pie to freezer until very firm, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack on the lowest third. Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until crust turns light gold, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake, rotating halfway through, until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour and 25 minutes. Let cool before serving.