More Fun with Figs! Fig Pie!

Fig Pie!

We are still working our way through the first round of our 2014 Celeste fig harvest.  I thought this time I would try making a fig pie.

For my almost 7" in diameter Chantal pie plates, I used the Deep Dish pie shell recipe proportions, since I was making a double crust.  I've found it is better to have extra dough rather than trying to stretch, and rip, the pastry to fit and cover the plate and filling.

Pie Crust Recipe - Adapted from Good Housekeeping magazine - November 2008

Ingredients for a 9" pie shell:

Before assembling the ingredients, I fill a measuring cup with water and ice to get that water ice cold.

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted cold butter, cut up as you place in the food processor
3 tablespoons Crisco
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water (I've never had to use that much, perhaps because I live in a humid climate)

For a Deep Dish Pie Shell (or a double crust for a 2-cup size/6-3/4"diameter x 1-1/4"deep Chantal pie plate) Increase flour to 1 1/2 cups and vegetable shortening to 1/4 cup.

Instructions:

In food processor with knife blade attached, blend flour and salt.  Add butter and shortening, and plus until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition, until large moist crumbs just begin to form.  The trick is to keep it crumbly instead of turning into a ball.

Shape dough into disk/s, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or over night (if over night, let dough stand 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling)

Put dough between wax paper and roll into a 12" round, approximately 1/8" thick.   Remove one side of wax paper and flip over into pie plate (with the other wax paper side up).  Fit into plate and remove remaining wax paper sheet.

Trim excess crust and place in freezer for 15 minutes.  In the meantime preheat oven to 425.  

Bake pie shell for 10 minutes.  
Fill with fruit.

Sprinkle with some pretty sanding sugar on top, adjust  heat to 400.   Or lower temperature to 375 if it is browning too quickly.
Bake for an additional 30 minutes or  until crust turns golden.

Fig Fruit Filling

Well, I didn't quite measure/count the figs prior to trimming the stems and cutting in half and placing in a saucepan to cook.  If I had to guesstimate, I would say it was probably 4 cups of fresh figs.  Always better to err on the win-win plus side, you can always use and eat the extra!  I did add a little less than 1/4 cup sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon.   Then for this particular pie, I added a tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken the fruit once it started to bubble.   In hindsight, I probably didn't really need the cornstarch.  It was not that watery.  And I actually couldn't tell any difference from the other sauce I had made.   I was just following other fruit pie recipes, which did call for cornstarch.  My pie bottom was not soggy and the filling not runny.    Perhaps the kitchen angels were smiling upon me.  And hopefully you, too!

Fig Pie a la Mode!