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| English: Mixed nuts and dried fruit (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Removing the moisture from fruit concentrates its sweetness and flavor and results in fruit that is sticky, firm and chewy. As dried fruit ages, its sugars can become crystallized; immersing the fruit in boiling water of a few minutes, however, will soften its texture. Golden raisins, Muscat raisins, apricots, peaches, sour cherries, prunes and dried currants are all delicious choices for this pandowdy. Chopping dried fruit is made easier by first chilling the fruit in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Typically, a pandowdy refers to a kind of deep-dish cobbler sweetened sliced apples or other fruit topped with dough and baked. This variation uses a full pie crust, which is pushed down into the filling during baking so that it absorbs the delicious fruit juices and makes it taste extraordinary.
HARVEST FRUIT PANDOWDY PIE
You will need:
Two-rolled out Basic Pie Dough rounds
5 medium apples, peeled, halved, cored, and sliced 1/2 inch (12 mm) thick (about 5 cups/1 1/4 lb/625 g)
1 1/2 cups (14 oz/440 g) mixed dried fruit such as apricots, peaches, currants, golden raisins (sultanas), and cherries, chopped if large.
3/4 cup (6 oz/185 g) firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch (6-mm) cubes
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Here's how:
Fold one dough round in half and carefully transfer it to a 9-inch (23-cm) pie pan. Unfold and ease the dough into the pan without stretching it, patting it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is firm, at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, stir together the apple slices, dried fruits, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pile the fruit mixture into the dough and lined pie pan. Dot with the butter. Lay the second dough circle on top of the fruit filling. Cut the top circle to fit inside the rim of the pan, about a 9-inch circle. Fold in the edge of the bottom dough, overlapping the edge of the top dough.
Sprinkle the top with the granulated sugar. Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and remove the pandowdy from the oven. With a small, sharp knife, cut a crosshatch of 1-inch (2.5-cm) squares into the top crust. Using the edge of the spatula, press the top crust down into the apples. Continue baking the pie, pressing the crust gently into the apples twice more during the remaining baking time, until the apples are tender when pierced with a skewer or small knife and the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes longer.
Let cool to room temperature to set the filling. When ready to serve, heat in a 350 degrees F oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes.
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