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09/19/2019 12:01 AMMany years ago we moved from Massachusetts to Connecticut, having found an old house with land in Canterbury. It took years to make that beautiful old house gorgeous but, thanks mainly to my husband, who worked nights and weekends inside and outside in that 1750 center-chimney colonial, we finally did.
The kitchen barely existed when we moved in. During the months it took to get the work done, I washed dishes in the downstairs tub. Sure, paper or plastic towels and dishes were an option, but I hated them even 25 years ago. I learned what I could make in a microwave, which was not much. We were on a budget, so once a week, since I was writing restaurant reviews for The Day, the newspaper paid for us to eat pretty well. There were few good restaurants within both our budget and 10 miles of our house.
One restaurant, long gone and the name forgotten, had an unforgettable dessert, a two-crust pear pie, with the pears nestled in a soft, cream-cheese pillow.
I love pears and pies and autumn, but I never got that recipe. I would love if someone had any ideas about that filling. In the meantime, here is a pie recipe I love. The crust was Deb Jensen’s, who had a couple of incredibly good restaurants in Stonington until she died a few years ago. I have been using that recipe ever since she shared it with me.
The pear recipe I make with cinnamon. I sometimes substitute vanilla, since some people do not like cinnamon.
And, a note on the pie crust: My biggest problem with pie crust is the rolling out. I use a floured pastry cloth and a well-floured “mitten” on my rolling pin. When it’s the right size, I roll the crust up on my rolling pin and gently “roll it out” over the pie plate.
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.
Deb Jensen’s Perfect Pie Crust
Makes enough for two, two-crust, nine-inch pies
(what is not used can be frozen)
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cups solid shortening
(1 cup Crisco, ¾ cup unsalted butter)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
½ cup ice water
1 egg
Combine dry ingredients. Cut shortening into dry ingredients. Add egg to ice water, beat, then add vinegar. Stir into dry ingredients with a fork. Form into four balls, place individually in plastic wrap or small plastic bags and chill. Bring back to room temperature before rolling out.* Dough keeps one month in refrigerator and longer in the freezer.
Pear Pie Filling
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place a large sheet pan into the oven.
2 ½ pounds (about 5 cups) Anjou or Bartlett pears, cored,
peeled, and cut into ¼-inch slices
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)
2 tablespoons butter
Toss the pears in a large bowl with lemon juice and allow to macerate for half an hour. Mix the flour, sugar, and cinnamon (or vanilla), then toss with the pears. Add the pear mixture into the bottom crust, then dot with pieces of butter. Add the second crust and crimp the edges. Use a knife to put a few vents onto the crust. I also place thin pieces of aluminum foil on the edges of the crust so they don’t blacken before the pie is ready. Put the pie on the hot sheet pan for 15 minutes. Then turn oven to 350 degrees, and cook until fruit is bubbling, about 45 minutes more. (I take the foil pieces off around 15 minutes for the pie is ready.