Pear Gruyère Foldovers

​Pear Gruyère Foldovers
 
makes one baker’s dozen (13)
 
1 tablespoon pear honey ginger shrub from The Hudson Standard OR apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons ice cold water
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup white whole wheat flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper
4 oz. gruyère cheese, grated and frozen
5.3 oz.  (⅔ cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1 lb. 4 oz. ripe but firm pears (depending on the size, 2-3 pears will yield 2 cups of fruit)
zest of 1 small lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cardamom
2 teaspoons cornstarch
 
egg wash made from one egg beaten with 2 tablespoons heavy cream
 
Combine the shrub or apple cider vinegar and the ice cold water in a small pyrex measuring cup. Place in the freezer.
 
Place both flours, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse a few times to blend. Add the frozen/grated gruyère and the cold butter pieces, pulsing just until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Retrieve the vinegar/ice cold water from the freezer. You may not need all of the liquid, so add only a tablespoon at a time to the flour/butter mixture, using a fork to combine. Test the dough to see if it holds together; if it feels a bit dry, add a little more, just until the dough comes together. Gather the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour before rolling out.
 
Prepare the filling-
 
Rinse, peel, and core the pears. Cut them into thick chunks, place them in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice. In a small bowl, whisk together the zest, brown sugar, cardamom, and cornstarch. Don’t combine the fruit with the sugar/spices yet or they will release too much liquid. Set aside while you roll out the dough.
 
Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit on the counter to warm up for about ten minutes. On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll the dough into a circle about ⅛” thick and 14” in diameter. Cut out thirteen 4½”circles, dividing them between two parchment lined baking sheets. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Combine the pears with the sugar/spices and toss to coat. Retrieve the dough from the fridge. Set the egg wash nearby. Place one tablespoon of fruit in the center of each portion of dough. Brush just the edge of each pastry with the egg wash and fold the dough over the filling, sealing the edges. Brush each pastry with egg wash and prick the tops with a fork to allow steam to release. Return the pastries to the fridge and let them chill for 30 minutes before baking so they hold their shape in the oven.
 
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
 
Bake at 425 degrees F for five minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 15-18 minutes, until golden. Best served warm but no complaints when you serve them at room temperature.