Quince Pear Pie

(yields one 7" double crust pie) (adapted from Superb Pies and Pastries, Culinary Arts Institute)

Ginger/Honey Poached Quince  (yields generous 4 cups) (adapted from Food and Wine magazine)

4 quinces, (about 2 lbs.) peeled, core removed, cut into ¼” slices
3½ cups water
½ cup sugar
¼ cup honey
1 lemon, cut in half
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3 cardamom pods, crushed
8 thin slices of peeled fresh ginger

In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, honey, lemon, vanilla bean, cardamom and ginger. Bring to a boil, stirring, just until sugar and honey melts. Reduce heat, add the quinces, cover with a circle of parchment paper, and simmer until quinces are tender, about 45 minutes, maybe a bit longer. Transfer the poached fruit to a bowl, using a slotted spoon. Reduce the poaching liquid until syrupy, about 10 minutes. Pour the syrup over the quinces and set aside until cool. Refrigerate.  This will yield enough quince for two 7” pies so you will have an excuse to bake this breakfast or dessert pie not once, but twice. (The extra quince keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.) 

Gruyere or Cheddar (or Cheddar and Gruyere) Crust (both Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s offers these cheeses individually, or in combination) (adapted from King Arthur Flour)

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon finely minced crystallized ginger
10 tablespoons cold butter, cut into ½” pieces
1½ oz. Gruyere or Cheddar or combo, shredded finely then frozen
3 tablespoons ice cold Hudson Standard Pear Honey Ginger shrub
(You can substitute 3 tablespoons cold apple cider plus 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, but it is well worth keeping a bottle of the shrub in the fridge for fall pie baking.)
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse together the flour, salt, sugar and finely minced crystallized ginger. Add the cold butter and cheese, and pulse just until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Turn this mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the cold pear ginger shrub, 1 tablespoon at a time, gently combining the dry mixture with the liquid, until the dough comes together. Shape the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour before rolling out.

Quince Pear Pie filling for a 7” pie

2 cups drained, cooled, poached quince slices
2 cups of peeled, cored ripe pears, cut into ¼” slices
zest and juice from one small lemon
1 teaspoon of Pear Honey Ginger shrub
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
(egg wash made with one egg and two teaspoons of water)

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. On a piece of parchment paper, roll out one disc of pie dough about 1/8” thick, 9” round, and fit it into a 7” pie plate. Roll and crimp the edges, then refrigerate while you prepare the filling. Roll out the second disc of dough for your top crust about 1/8” thick and 9” round on the parchment paper, place on a baking sheet and refrigerate.

Place the poached quince slices, pear slices, lemon juice, honey and the shrub into a large mixing bowl; stir gently to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch, ground ginger, fresh ginger, cardamom, seeds from the vanilla bean, and the lemon zest. Pour the sugar/cornstarch/spice mixture over the fruit, toss gently to coat with a rubber spatula. Pour into chilled pie shell, place top crust over the fruit, seal and crimp the edges. Brush the top crust with egg wash and cut a few vents in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover the edges with strips of aluminum foil and bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until the pie is golden and juices bubble from the center. Best to cool on a rack for two hours if you care about neat slices. Some of us do not.