SPICED PEAR PIE

 

"PIE IS ON THE BLOG". a phrase you will be hearing a lot over the next few months. apple pie, pumpkin pie, sugar pie, oh so many pies are to be made this season! but today, lets focus on this spiced red pear pie. i have seriously never seen or eaten a pear pie before, which is why i was so intrigued to make one. what does everyone have against pears? i see them as a weirdly shaped apple, yet apples seem to get ALL the attention when it comes to pie making. pear pie results in a similar taste & texture to apple pie, but at the end you get a nice hint of pear flavour coming through. so give it a try this season! any type of pear will work, just pick the firmest ones you can find so your pie doesn't get mushy.

ingredients

for the dough

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold & cubed
  • 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, cold
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup ice water
  • 1 egg, for egg wash (optional)

for the filling

  • 5-6 cups sliced red pears
  • 1/2 raw sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

directions

  • begin by making the dough. using a food processor pulse the flour, salt and sugar.
  • add the cubed butter, shortening and vanilla. pulse until a crumb like mixture forms.
  • add the cold water one tablespoon at a time until the crumbs begin to come together. turn out onto a pastry board and shape dough into a disk. if dough seems wet, add a bit more flour. if the dough seems dry, add a bit more water.
  • wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for minimum 2 hours.
  • for the filling mix pears, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and cornstarch in a bowl. toss until evenly coated and combined.
  • once you are ready to assemble the pie, pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
  • roll out half the dough between 3/4cm and 1cm thick. transfer to pie dish and clean up & shape edges. poke dough with a fork a few times to allow steam to release.
  • roll out remaining dough to the same thickness for the top.
  • to create a lattice style top, cut dough into equal size strips using a pastry wheel or knife. arrange one set of strips evenly across in one direction, followed by a second set of strips in the opposite direction. weave strips through each other as you lay your second set down. trim & clean up edges.
  • add one tablespoon of water to egg to create an egg mixture. brush all over pie top & bake pie for 35-40 minutes.
  • let cool completely before serving.

like what you see? get it here. pie server | french rolling pin | mug | plates | linens | wooden spoon

LOW & SLOW RIBS

 

FALL IS COMING. soon we can make chilis & stews and slow cook & roast meats without resulting in the house becoming 80 zillion degrees. decorate with pie pumpkins & pumpkin candles (ok, i have these out all year) & more pumpkins! these ribs are the perfect dinner to make on a cozy fall or winter day spent at home. your house will smell amazing as they cook on low for hours. while i usually use bbq sauce on my ribs, essie, the creator of essiespice contacted me about trying some of her exotic spices & sauce blends. these caribbean style flavours are not a food culture i am all that familiar with, but i tried them & could not believe how good they were. oh. em. gee. they were delicious. i used the sauce to marinate chicken, sautee ground turkey for tacos & these ribs! the coco for garlic sauce makes for a great little twist on using the usual barbecue style sauces. as you can see by the photo below... not a piece of meat left in sight. they were finger lickin good! take that KFC (jk, love you).

ingredients

  • 1 rack of ribs (back or side, which ever you prefer)
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
  • 1/4 cup essie coco for garlic sauce [can substitute bbq sauce]
  • 1 onion, sliced

directions

  • preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • rub front & back side of ribs with paprika, oregano, salt, pepper & garlic sauce [if using bbq sauce, do NOT brush it on till the end]
  • place rack on a cookie sheet & scatter the onions.
  • cover tray tightly with foil to ensure to steam gets out.
  • place in oven & cook covered for 3-3.5 hours.
  • remove from oven, brush with additional garlic sauce [if using bbq sauce add it NOW!]
  • turn oven up to 375 degrees and cook ribs for an additional 15-20 minutes.
  • base with more sauce if desired.

like what you see? get it here. french paddle | linen | sauce bowl | side bowl

ROSEMARY PLUM UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

 

with a little help from my instagram friends, i decided to make a rosemary infused upside down plum cake! that's a mouthful. by infusing the rosemary (rather then chopping fresh rosemary) into the caramel sauce, it creates a very subtle rosemary flavour. garnishing anything with rosemary is my favourite things to do, it's just such a beautiful woodsy herb. the cake produced is not overly sweet, but on the dense side. this is the first time i got to rock my portland apron company apron. it is probably the most beautiful apron i have ever owned & couldn't be more my style. now i look & feel legit.

ingredients

for the sauce

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 4-5 red plums

for the cake

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup raw sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup whole milk or cream

directions

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • sauce: in a sauce pan over medium heat add butter, sugar, salt, rosemary, cinnamon and vanilla. bring to a boil constantly stiring and remove from heat. pull out the rosemary.
  • slice plums thinly. pour caramel sauce in an 8 or 9 inch cake pan & arrange the plum slices in a circle.
  • cake: in a mixing bowl sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
  • in the bowl of your stand mixer using the beater attachment cream butter and sugar. add eggs one at a time until light and fluffy.
  • mix in vanilla and milk until combined.
  • slowly add your flour mixture and beat until the batter is smooth.
  • carefully pour batter over the plums, ensuring you do not alter the design of the fruit.
  • bake for 20-25 minutes, until cake is cooked throughout.
  • let cool completely before flipping & serving.

ike what you see? get it here. cake stand | cake server | apron | plate | linen | bowl