makes one 8”x3” deep-dish pie    (note: before lining the springform pan with dough, open it up, flip the bottom of the pan so the outside is facing in and close it. This prevents the dough from slipping into the crack of the pan. Thanks, Julia Moskin.)
 
For the pie dough-
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter cut into ½” pieces
½ cup ice cold water + an additional tablespoon or two, if needed
 
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar and salt. Using a bench scraper, cut the butter into the flour until it forms coarse crumbs. Add the ice cold water to the crumbs, tossing to combine with your fingers. The dough should just hold together; if it feels a bit dry, add an additional tablespoon or two of ice cold water. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour before rolling it out.
 
On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll out the dough into a circle about ⅛” thick and approximately 15” in diameter. (There will be leftover scraps. ) Fold the circle of rolled dough in half and half again, then place the folded dough in the center of an 8”x 3” springform pan. Gently unfold the dough and press it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim the dough so you have an overhang of dough extending about 1” beyond the edge of the pan. Fold the edges under so they are flush with the pan and place the pan in the freezer for at least an hour.
 
To pre-bake the crust, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the springform pan from the freezer and use a fork to ‘dock’ (pricking the dough) across the bottom and up the sides of the dough allowing steam to escape. Line the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil that fits snugly against the pie dough, across the bottom and all the way up the sides. Set the pan on a lined baking sheet. Fill the foil-lined pan with dried beans, all the way to the top of the pan. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes. The edges of the crust should be set and start to turn golden. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, carefully remove the aluminum foil and beans from the springform pan and set them aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and return the partially baked shell to the oven for an additional 20 minutes, until the bottom of the crust is dry and golden. Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
 
For the Wild Nut filling- (courtesy of Jessie)
4 ounces ( 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1⅓ cups dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon good quality vanilla
2 tablespoons bourbon whiskey (optional)
3½-4 cups assorted pecans, walnuts, cashews and macadamia nuts

Place the cooled pie shell on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Make sure the oven is preheated to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar and salt until the butter is absorbed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the corn syrup and vanilla. Place 3½ cups of nuts in the bottom of the springform pan spreading them into an even layer. Carefully pour the filling over the nuts. Let the filling settle and then add the additional ½ cup of nuts if you wish. (We tend to opt for an abundance of nuts.) Carefully cover the edges of the pie with strips of aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning. Place the baking sheet with the pie on the middle rack of the preheated 325 degree oven. Bake for 45 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes. The center of the pie should feel set when gently pressed and when tested with a wooden skewer, will come out clean. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely before slicing.
 
 

​(inspired byOnce Upon A Tart)       makes 8 scones

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup stone-ground cornmeal
½ cup white whole wheat flour
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon orange zest
¾ cup dried cranberries
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans
8 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into ¼” cubes
½ cup sweet potato puree (preferably from oven roasted Garnet potatoes- I used a 7 oz. potato)
1 large egg
⅓ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon good quality maple syrup
 
egg wash made from 1 egg whisked together with 2 tablespoons heavy cream
¼ cup good quality maple syrup for drizzle
 
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, white-whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, spices and orange zest. Using a bench scraper, cut in the cold butter until it forms coarse crumbs. Add the cranberries and pecans, tossing with the flour/butter just to combine. Place the bowl with the flour/butter mixture in the freezer. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweet potato puree, egg, heavy cream, vanilla and tablespoon of maple syrup.. Retrieve the bowl with the flour/butter mixture from the freezer. Add the wet ingredients to the flour/butter mixture, folding them in with a rubber scraper and then using your hand to finish combining the ingredients just until they come together. Do not overwork the dough. Gather the dough into a ball and turn it out onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Dust your fingers with flour and pat the dough into a circle about 6” in diameter, 1” thick. Use a bench scraper to cut the circle into 8 even triangles. Transfer the scones to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set in the freezer until solid. The scones can then be well covered with plastic wrap or slid into a Ziploc bag and frozen until you are ready to bake them.
 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the scones on a parchment lined baking sheet. To prevent the bottoms from getting too brown, I “double pan” by placing the baking sheet with the scones on top of a second baking sheet of the same size. Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash.  Bake on the middle rack of the oven, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Set on a rack to cool then drizzle with good quality maple syrup.
 

Honey Poached Quinces
3½ cups water
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup  + 2 tablespoons honey
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped with the tip of a knife
3 quinces washed, peeled, (save peels) quartered and cored
 
In a large pot, combine the water, sugar, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla bean and seeds. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the quartered quinces and the peels (for color) and return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover the fruit and liquid with a circle of parchment paper and cook over low heat until tender, about 2- 2½ hours. Use a slotted spoon to remove the quinces from the poaching liquid. Boil the poaching liquid until it reduces and is thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Strain. Place the poached quinces in the syrup and let the mixture cool completely before refrigerating.
 
One recipe of your favorite pie dough, enough for a double crusted 9” pie, divided into 2 discs
 
On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll out one disc of pie dough into a circle 12” in diameter and about ⅛” thick. Fit it into a 9” pie plate; fold and crimp the edges. On the same sheet of parchment paper, roll out the second disc of pie dough into a 10” circle, about ⅛”thick. Place the parchment and dough on a baking sheet. Refrigerate the bottom and top crusts while you prepare the filling.
 
Filling-
¼ cup honey
zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
pinch salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cardamom
one half of a vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped with the tip of a knife
3 poached quinces, drained, sliced ⅛” thick, enough to equal 3 cups
2 pears, ripe but firm, peeled, cored, sliced ⅛” thick, enough to equal 2½ cups
2 apples, tart such as Granny Smith, Jonagold or Winesap, peeled, cored, sliced ⅛” thick, enough to equal 2½ cups
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
 
egg wash made from one egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
coarse sanding sugar for sprinkling
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the honey, lemon zest and juice.  In another small bowl, whisk together the salt, cornstarch, cinnamon, cardamom and seeds from the vanilla bean. Place the sliced quinces, pears and apples in a large bowl. Add the honey/lemon mixture and turn to coat using a rubber spatula. Add the salt/cornstarch/spices/vanilla bean to the fruit and stir to combine. Remove the bottom and top crusts from the refrigerator. Pour the filling into the pie shell, dot with the butter and drape the top crust over the fruit. Trim the edge of the top crust so it extends about 1” over the edge of the pie plate. Tuck the top and bottom crusts together, folding the edges under, then use your fingers to crimp the edge. Brush the top of the pie (not the edges) with the egg wash, sprinkle with the sanding sugar and cut vents into the top crust. Place the pie on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees, move the pie to the middle rack and continue baking for an additional 40-45 minutes, covering the edges with strips of aluminum foil if they are getting toasty. Bake until juices bubble thickly around the edges and through the vents. Let the pie cool completely before slicing. Refrigerate any leftovers.