PIE TO GO?

via food&wine ph: john kernick

I love hand pies - no fork necessary. Pie to go- is there anything better? Probably not. Here's another recipe featured in Food & Wine's February Pastry Calendar - Atlanta baker Abigail Quinn's Blueberry and Nectarine Hand Pies. This recipe calls for a mix of fruit so feel free to experiment with other fruits besides blueberries and nectarines in your hand pies. 

Blueberry and Nectarine Hand Pies
Dough:
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes and chilled
1/2 c plus 2 Tbsp ice water
Filling:
2 ripe nectarines - peeled, pitted and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 1/2 c blueberries
2/3 c sugar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pur vanilla extract
1/4 tsp finely grated peeled fresh ginger
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of kosher salt
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp water, for brushing

1. Make the Dough: In a food processor, pulse the flour with the salt and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Add the butter and pulse until pea-size pieces form. Drizzle in the ice water as you pulse until the dough just comes together, about 
1 minute. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and pat into a square about 
1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 
2 days.
2. Make the Filling: In a medium bowl, toss the nectarines with the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Sift the cornstarch over the fruit and stir until coated, making sure no clumps of cornstarch remain.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the chilled dough in half. Work with 1 piece at a time and keep the other half chilled. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out 8 rounds and arrange on one of the baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Refrigerate the rounds. Roll out the remaining dough 1/8 inch thick. Using a 4 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out 8 rounds; using a thin knife, cut three 1/2-inch slits in each round, then transfer to the second baking sheet.
4. Brush the edges of the 4-inch rounds with the egg wash. Using a slotted spoon, mound 1/3 cup of the fruit filling in the center of each round. Cover with the 4 1/2-inch rounds and crimp and seal the edges with a fork. Brush the pies with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake the pies for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbling and deeply golden brown; rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Let the pies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack and let cool before serving.

JUSTIN CHAPPLE'S PEAR AND CRANBERRY SLAB PIE

via food & wine ph: con poulos

What's slab pie you ask? It's a free-form pie that you can bake on a baking sheet. No pie dish necessary. Here's another recipe featured in Food & Wine's February Pastry Calendar - Justin Chapple's Pear and Cranberry Slab Pie. This fruit-filled, ginger laced pie looks delicious. A recipe I'm eager to try for an upcoming party. Happy baking. 

Pear and Cranberry Slab Pie

2 3/4 c all-purpose flour

1/2 c plus 1 Tbsp granulated sugar

kosher salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

1/2 cup ice water

4 firm Bartlett or Anjou pears peeled, cored and cut into 3/4-inch wedges

1 1/2 c frozen cranberries

1 tsp ground ginger

1 large egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water

Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

1. In a food processor, combine 2 1/2 cups of the flour with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse in 1-second bursts until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle the ice water over the mixture and pulse in 1-second bursts until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather any crumbs and pat into 2 squares. Wrap the squares in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 45 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°. On a floured work surface, roll out 1 piece of the dough to a 12-inch square. Slide the dough onto a large sheet of parchment paper, then slide onto a large baking sheet. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. Slide 1 square of dough onto a work surface. In a large bowl, toss the pears with the cranberries, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of flour. Spread the fruit evenly on the dough square on the baking sheet, leaving a 1-inch border. Ease the other square of dough on top of the fruit. Fold over the edge and crimp decoratively all around to seal. Brush the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Cut 16 small slits in the top and freeze for 15 minutes.
4. Bake the pie for about 50 minutes, until golden and the pears are tender; rotate halfway through baking. Let cool. Cut the pie into squares and serve.