Pear – Rosemary pie with Cheddar


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Ingredients:


2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 


1/8 teaspoon table salt 


3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided 


1 cup finely grated sharp Cheddar cheese


1 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 


3 tablespoons cold heavy cream


4 to 5 tbsp ice-cold water 


3 ¼ pounds Bartlett pears, peeled and sliced 


1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 


2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch 


2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 


1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary


1/4 teaspoon table salt 


1 large egg, lightly beaten 



Preparation:


1. Pulse first 2 ingredients and 2 tbsp granulated sugar in a food processor 3 or 4 times or until combined. Add cheese and butter; pulse 10 to 12 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle cream and water over mixture; pulse 4 or 5 times or just until moist clumps form. Divide dough in half, and flatten into disks. Wrap disks in plastic wrap, and chill 30 minutes.


2. Meanwhile, stir together pears, next 6 ingredients, and remaining 1 tbsp granulated sugar in a large bowl.


3. Preheat oven to 400°. Roll 1 dough disk into a 12 1/2-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Fit piecrust into a 10-inch pie plate; fold edges under, and crimp. Spoon the pear mixture into crust.


4. Roll remaining dough disk to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface, and cut into 6 (2 1/2-inch) strips. Arrange strips in a lattice design over filling, press ends of strips into crust, sealing to bottom crust, and crimp. (Reroll scraps if you do not have enough strips to cover pie.) Whisk together egg and 2 tbsp. water. Brush lattice with egg mixture.


5. Bake at 400° for 55 minutes to 1 hour, shielding with aluminum foil after 30 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Let cool on a wire rack 1 hour.


6. Pear-Cherry Pie with Cheddar Crust: Prepare as directed, adding 1 cup dried cherries to pear mixture and increasing cornstarch to 1/4 cup.


This recipe has been provided by by Chef Vijay David from Grand Mercure Hotel, Bangalore.