Autumn spells pie season to me. You can just smell the earthy spices and sweet fruit melting together in the oven, encased in a warm, flaky crust. Tree fruit, like apples and pears, are at their peak during late summer and autumn and provide us with a delicate, sweet, relaxing nature. Cooking them, especially baking, gentles the effect of their sugars on the bloodstream, creating a dessert that satisfies without making a mess of your blood chemistry.
Ingredients
Double-crust pastry
- 2½ cups whole wheat pastry or sprouted whole wheat flour, plus more for rolling
- ½ cup avocado or extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- About 4 tablespoons chilled spring or filtered water
Filling
- 3 to 4 medium-size ripe pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 3 to 4 medium-size apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup Suzanne’s Specialties brown rice syrup
- 2 tablespoons avocado or extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 grated lemon juice and zest
- Generous pinch each of ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice
How to Make It
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. To make the Pastry
- In a bowl using a fork, two knives, or a pastry blender, combine the flour, oil, and salt until the mixture is the texture of wet sand. Slowly stir in enough water so the dough just gathers into a ball. Cover, and set aside 5 minutes to relax the gluten.
- Divide the dough in half, then roll each piece between two sheets of parchment paper or on a dry, lightly floured work surface into a 10-inch circle. Gently fit one circle into a 9-inch pie plate. Pierce in several places with a fork. To make the Filling
- Combine the pears, apples, brown rice syrup, oil, arrowroot powder, ginger, lemon zest and juice, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice in a large bowl. Spoon the filling into the pie shell, mounding the fruit in the center.
- Gently place the remaining dough circle on top of the filling. Roll the edge of bottom crust up over the top crust and press the edges together to seal. Roll to the edge of the pan, and crimp decoratively to seal. Pierce the top crust in several places to allow steam to escape.
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing, though longer is better so the filling sets up, as long as an hour. This will keep, in a tightly sealed container or tightly wrapped, for about 2 days.
