Pear Raspberry Cardamom Spiced Pie

Combine 1 cup of flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse a few times to incorporate. Cut frozen butter into cubes or pats and sprinkle pieces evenly over the flour mixture. Toss a bit with your fingers to coat pieces with the flour mixture. Pulse until no dry flour is visible and the dough starts to collect uneven clumps (about 20-25 short pulses) should look pasty.   Use a rubber spatula and scape bowl to redistribute dough evenly around the processor blade. Now, add remaining 1-½ cups of flour and pulse until dough is just slightly broken up (about 6 short pulses).  Move the dough to a large bowl. Sprinkle the cold vodka and water over the mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold and press down until the dough comes together, the dough will be slightly tacky.  Divide the dough evenly into 2 balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. 

Peel and core the pears and slice ½ inch thick. Transfer to a medium bowl and toss with the sugar and lemon juice, set aside. Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced pears and cook, stirring occasionally, until semi-soft, about 11 minutes. While the pears are cooking, in a separate small bowl, mix the flour, cardamom, cinnamon and salt.  When the pears are tender, add the flour mixture, heavy cream, pear nectar and stir until the juices thicken, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. (It’s best to make the filling a day ahead; cover and refrigerate.) 

Just before you assemble the pie, gently place all 3 packages of Driscolls raspberries in a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine sugar and tapioca.  Add the sugar mixture to the raspberries and very gently toss with your fingers.  

Place 1 dough disk between two sheets of plastic wrap (I usually use four sheets-two for the top and two for the bottom). Or if you prefer you may roll out the dough on floured surface. Roll out the disk of dough into a 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet of plastic wrap and pick up the bottom sheet of the plastic wrap and ease the dough into a 9 ½ -inch deep-dish pie plate.  Gently press the dough against the bottom and sides of the pie plate, leaving a ½-inch overhang. Use the extra dough to cut out decorated pieces using a small maple leaf cookie cutter or any other cookie cutter design. Refrigerate the pie shell and the decorated pieces, while you are working on the lattice top piecrust. 

Roll out the remaining disk of dough into a 13-inch round on a floured surface. Cut the dough into even strips about ½-inch to ¾ -inch wide, with a butter knife or pastry wheel, with or without a ruler or straight edge to guide you (yields about 12-14 strips depending on the thickness of your strips). Take the pie shell out of the refrigerator and add the pear filling, mounding it in the center. Add the raspberry filling on top of the pear filling. The filling will be very full and high. 

Lay out 7 parallel strips of the pie dough on top of the filling, using the longer strips in the middle of the pie and shorter strips toward the edges, with about ½-inch space in between them. Fold back every other strip. Place one long strip of dough perpendicular to the parallel strips. Unfold the folded strips over the perpendicular strip. Take the parallel strips that are running underneath the perpendicular strip and fold them back over the perpendicular strip. Place down a second perpendicular strip of dough next to the first strip, with some space between the strips. Unfold the folded parallel strips over the second strip. Continue this weaving process until the weave is complete over the top of the pie.  Press the dough strip edges and piecrust edge together. Fold the overhanging dough over itself and crimp the edges with your fingers.  Place the refrigerator maple leaf cut outs around the piecrust, gently pressing into the piecrust edge.  Chill at least 1 hour.

Set a baking sheet on a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat oven to 425 degrees. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the egg yolk and heavy cream. Brush the pie with the egg yolk mixture, avoiding the edges. Sprinkle with sugar. Cover the pie edges with foil. Set the pie on the hot baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degree. Bake for about 1 hour.  Note: After 30 minutes check the pie, if browning too much loosely place a piece of parchment over the pie.  Rotate the pie as needed for even browning.  When 15 minutes remain, remove foil and continue to bake. Transfer to a rack and let cool until set- 4 hours. 

Check out our other Raspberry Pies!