Apple-Pear Pie with a Leaf Crust

What I Used:

Crust:

• 2 nine-inch pie crusts
• 4 large eggs
• Red, orange, and green gel food colors

Filling:

• 2 lbs apples (about 4)
• 2 lbs pears (about 4)
• 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg (1/4 tsp)
• 1/4 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup flour

(1)  Mise-en-place

(a)  Roll out first pie crust and place in pie dish.  Reserve second crust in refrigerator.

(b)  Filling

(1)  Peel, core, and dice apples and pears.

(2) Juice lemon and pour over apple/pears.  Set aside.

(3) Zest lemon, set aside.

Tip:  You may zest citrus with a grater or a tool called a zester, but I prefer to use a knife to allow me significant control of how deep I cut into the peel.  Ultimately, you’re looking to get the “honeycomb,” porous part of the skin and not the meatier white stuff.

(2) Combine, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl.  Pour on top of fruit and toss to combine.

(3) Melt butter in large pan over medium-high heat.  Add fruit and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes.

(4)  Once the fruit softens, add flour evenly over fruit.  Continue cooking for 1 minute.

(5)  Add vanilla and reserved lemon zest.  Remove from heat.

(4) Roll out second pie crust and cut out (either with cookie cutter or free form) leaves, adding veining.  I prefer doing these free-form as I think it makes the leaves look more life-like.

(5) Pour filling into first pie crust.

(6) Place leaves around pie dish on top of the filling.  Begin by placing leaves around the outside, overlapping as you go.  Finish with a grouping of four leaves in the center.

Make Ahead:  At this point, you may freeze your pie for later (up to 3 months).  Flash freeze (uncovered) for 20 minutes and then cover first in cling wrap and then in aluminum foil.

(7)  If not freezing, refrigerate pie for 20 minutes while preheating the oven to 425 degrees, placing a rack in the lower third.  If frozen, remove from freezer after preheating the oven to 425 degrees.

(8)  Before baking, whisk each egg in a separate small bowls.  Add yellow, orange, red, and green gel coloring (one for each bowl) until desired tone is reached.  Brush leaves with colored eggs.

(9)  If frozen, bake for 25 minutes at 425 degrees and then for 1 hour at 375 degrees.  If unfrozen, bake pie for 20 minutes at 425 degrees and then for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

For more Thanksgiving Recipes, please check out this post on our Evolving Thanksgiving!

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