My work finally quit bumming around and held its annual holiday party on Tuesday. Attending a holiday party during the holidays is so mundane. It's much better to party in January because you get to eat good food and watch your friends break their resolutions to "eat better." Ha ha!
I arrived early to help transform a TV studio into a banquet hall. The other volunteers arranged centerpieces, set up chairs, and made sure each table had a Play Dough set (for the sculpture contest, duh!) And we filled the space with helium balloons. We must have inflated, tied, and arranged over 200 balloons. One of the volunteers tied so many balloons that she sustained two blisters on her fingers. What a hardcore chick.
But the work was worth it. Almost everyone at work brought a dish to share, and we heard brief (but riveting!) speeches about how our radio and TV stations fared last year. After speeches, we held games: there were Play Dough sculptures, Rock Band, a Wheel of Fortune-style prize wheel, and a raffle. Even our CEO partied like a rock star.
The pie I brought was a rock star, too. At least, I assume it was a rock star, because the whole thing disappeared before the event ended. This pie is one of those last-minute wonders you can bring to parties, lunches, or potlucks. I first improvised it on Christmas day. My neighbors were hosting a to-do, and about an hour before the event, I realized the pears I bought to make a tart were still rock hard--three full days from ripening. After a quick rummage in the pantry and a flip through my trusty BH&G, the dried fruit pie was born. Twenty minutes of prep and 40 minutes of baking and it's done.
The time I spend preparing this pie bounces back and forth between the crust preparation and cooking the pie filling. When you read through the lengthy instructions below, don't fret. It took me five times longer to write the dang instructions than it did to bake the pie. If you have an hour and some dried apricots in the pantry, you have pie. Isn't that lovely to know?
Dried fruit tart with pastry stars
Dried fruit tart with pastry stars
serves 8
filling
- 2 1/2 cups dried apricots
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups water
- 2/3 cup dried cherries
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
- 1 Tb. molasses
- 2 Tb. blackberry, mulberry, or raspberry jam
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. cardamom
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. cloves
- 3 Tb. cornstarch
crust
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2/3 cup cold butter
- 5-6 Tb. cold water (keep it in the fridge until used)
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
First, preheat an oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, use kitchen shears to snip all of the apricots in half. Place the apricots in a bowl, cover them with hot water, and let them soak while you make the crust.
For the crust, mix the flours, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Cut the cold butter into the flours using a pastry cutter or fork, until the pieces are pea-sized. Sprinkle a spoonful of cold water over the dough, then toss everything gently with a fork. Repeat this process, one spoonful of water at a time, until the dough is moistened. The less you handle this dough, the flakier it will be.
Gently form the dough into a smooth ball. Wrap 1/3 of the dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate it while you form the pie's base crust. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the remaining dough from the center to the edges. Work quickly so the butter stays cool. Create a 12" diameter circle of dough that's to a 1/4" thick.
To transfer the dough to the pie plate, roll it gently around the rolling pin, and dust the dough occasionally with flour. Unroll the dough onto the pie plate, centering the dough as you go. Press the dough into the plate, prick the bottom crust with the tines of a fork, and trim the excess dough. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust is just barely dry on the top.
While the crust is prebaking, remove the reserved crust from the fridge and use the same method to roll that dough to a 1/4" thickness. Use a cookie cutter to make dough stars/flowers/leaves, etc. and brush the shapes with milk. Set aside in a cool place and focus on the pie filling!
Drain the apricot halves. Place the apricots in a medium saucepan and add about two cups of water--enough to fill in the nooks and crannies, but not enough to cover the fruit. Bring the apricots to a low simmer for at least five minutes, then stir in the sugar, molasses, spices, and jam. At this point, the apricots should look plump, and the water should be reduced by half.
Reduce the burner heat to low and stir in the cherries and cranberries. Stir in the cornstarch thoroughly for a full minute. Remove the pan from heat and let the sauce thicken slightly before spooning into the pie crust. Top the pie with dough shapes and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the crust is a golden brown.
For the crust, mix the flours, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Cut the cold butter into the flours using a pastry cutter or fork, until the pieces are pea-sized. Sprinkle a spoonful of cold water over the dough, then toss everything gently with a fork. Repeat this process, one spoonful of water at a time, until the dough is moistened. The less you handle this dough, the flakier it will be.
Gently form the dough into a smooth ball. Wrap 1/3 of the dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate it while you form the pie's base crust. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the remaining dough from the center to the edges. Work quickly so the butter stays cool. Create a 12" diameter circle of dough that's to a 1/4" thick.
To transfer the dough to the pie plate, roll it gently around the rolling pin, and dust the dough occasionally with flour. Unroll the dough onto the pie plate, centering the dough as you go. Press the dough into the plate, prick the bottom crust with the tines of a fork, and trim the excess dough. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust is just barely dry on the top.
While the crust is prebaking, remove the reserved crust from the fridge and use the same method to roll that dough to a 1/4" thickness. Use a cookie cutter to make dough stars/flowers/leaves, etc. and brush the shapes with milk. Set aside in a cool place and focus on the pie filling!
Drain the apricot halves. Place the apricots in a medium saucepan and add about two cups of water--enough to fill in the nooks and crannies, but not enough to cover the fruit. Bring the apricots to a low simmer for at least five minutes, then stir in the sugar, molasses, spices, and jam. At this point, the apricots should look plump, and the water should be reduced by half.
Reduce the burner heat to low and stir in the cherries and cranberries. Stir in the cornstarch thoroughly for a full minute. Remove the pan from heat and let the sauce thicken slightly before spooning into the pie crust. Top the pie with dough shapes and bake for 35-45 minutes, until the crust is a golden brown.
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1 comments:
Beautiful!!
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