PEAR ROSEMARY DANISH

Written by Kassandra Grunewald; Photos by Karen Cohen.

In celebration of #pieweek, we thought we would add a twist by posting one of our favorite recipes. This recipe is meant to please a crowd and is just as good warm, room temperature, and even cold. We love the elegant aroma of the rosemary to make this pear danish an unforgettable treat.

Adapted Recipe from Contest Winner on Food52 by hardlikearmour

Hardware

Recipe Calls for a 13x9 inch pan, but we didn't have one so I did some research* and found out that you can also use two 9' pans. This way we can make two and share :)  Before you decide to go this route, make sure two 9' pans will fit in your oven at one time - otherwise you'll have to do rounds.

Mathematical Research

The volume of a 13x9' pan is 9*13*1.5 = 175.5 
Volume of a 9' round pan is 3.14*4.5²*1.5 = 95 

-- So a 9' round pan will hold about half the batter of a 13x9' pan. 

Onto the goods

Crust:


1 cup unsalted butter, chilled

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 & 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 large egg

water


Pear Rosemary filling:


2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds firm-ripe pears

1 Granny Smith apple

2 to 3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 to 4 teaspoons sugar

salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter




Glaze:


1 cup powdered sugar


1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


2 tablespoons whole milk or half-and-half

Instructions

Crust:

1. Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in the freezer. 





2. Chop enough rosemary for the crust and filling. Preheat your oven to 400º F with a rack in the lower middle position. (Can't chop too small)


3. Combine sugar, salt, and rosemary in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 60 seconds to further break up the rosemary, and infuse the sugar with the oil. (Chop in short bursts to let the oil infuse) Add the flour and process for 20 seconds. 


4. Scatter the butter cubes over the flour mixture, then pulse to combine, about 12 to 15 one-second pulses. The mixture should resemble wet sand, with some pea-sized pieces of butter. (this took us a bit longer - depending on the strength of your machine). Transfer mixture to a medium sized bowl.


5. In a small bowl whisk the egg and 2 tablespoons of water to combine.


6. Sprinkle the egg mixture over the flour mixture and fold to combine. Use your hands to mix and bring the dough together. You may need to add another tablespoon or so of water to get the dough to come together. It is a fairly soft dough, but it should not be overly sticky.


7. Divide the dough into 2 unequal portions, the larger being about 2/3 of the dough. Wrap the smaller portion in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.


8. Flour your counter top or a piece of parchment paper. Use a generous amount of flour to prevent the dough from sticking from the counter. Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour as needed to prevent sticking to the rolling pin. Roll the larger portion of the dough out into a rectangle that is large enough to fit into the bottom, and up and slightly over the sides of a 13- by 9-inch baking pan. (About 17 to 18 inches by 13 to 14 inches.)

1. Roll the dough onto your rolling pin, then transfer the dough to your pan by unrolling it off. (very useful tip) Press into the bottom and sides of the dough into the pan. If needed patch tears with some of the dough overhang or by pressing together with your fingers. 


2. Set pan aside, and make your filling.

Pear Rosemary filling: 

1. Quarter and core pears. Cut each quarter into 4 or 5 chunks. Place in medium sized bowl.


2. Grate apple on the large holes of a box grater into the bowl containing the pears. Add the rosemary, lemon zest and juice, sugar. Toss until well combined.


3. Transfer pear mixture to the prepared crust. Distribute evenly. Sprinkle with salt. Dot with butter, and set aside.

1. Roll smaller piece of crust dough into a 13- by 9-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Transfer to the top of the pear mixture. Fold or roll the bottom crust over the top crust and flute the edges or use a fork to press the edges. Dock the surface of the crust with a fork.


2. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, turning the danish 180º after 25 to 30 minutes. The edges of the crust should be nicely browned and the top of the crust should be golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.

Glaze: 

1. Whisk the glaze ingredients together, and drizzle over the danish after it has been cooling for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool at least several hours or overnight before cutting and serving.

B'te Avon!