Honeyed Apple-Pear Pie in Rosemary Semolina Crust

Directions

Prepare pastry for a double crust.  On a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the larger portion of the pastry into a 13½-inch circle with a floured rolling pin.  Invert pastry over a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan.  Center it, then peel off the paper.  Tuck the pastry into the pan gently, without stretching it, and let the excess pastry drape over the side of the pan.  Refrigerate at least 15 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400°F.

For the filling: Combine apples, pears, honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl.  Stir in flour, then set filling aside while you roll the top pastry.

On another sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll top pastry into an 11½ -inch circle.  Turn the filling into the refrigerated pie shell and smooth with your hands.  If you’re using the anise, bury it in the center of the pie, covering it with a few apple slices.  Lightly moisten the edge of the pie shell with a wet fingertip or pastry brush.  Invert top pastry over the filling, center it, and peel off the paper.  Press top and bottom pastries together along the dampened edge.  Trim pastry with scissors of a paring knife, leaving an even ½-inch overhang.  Sculpt overhang into an upstanding ridge.  Poke several steam vents in the top of the pie with a fork or paring knife; put a couple of the vents near the edge of the crust so you can check the juices there later.

Put the pie directly on the center oven rack and bake 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and place on a large, dark, baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.  Reduce oven temperature to 375° F.  Put the pie on the baking sheet back in the oven and bake until any juices – visible at the steam vents – bubble thickly, another 30 to 40 minutes.  Transfer pie to a cooling rack and let cool at least 1 hour before slicing.  Remember to remove the whole star anise before you serve.

Rosemary Semolina Double Crust:

Put the flour, semolina, rosemary, sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse several times to mix.  Remove the lid and scatter the butter pieces over the dry ingredients.  Pulse five or six times to cut in the butter.  Remove lid and fluff the mixture with a fork.  Scatter shortening pieces over the flour and pulse six or seven times.  Fluff again.  Drizzle half the water over the flour mixture and pulse five or six times.  Fluff pastry again.  Sprinkle remaining water and pulse five or six times more until pastry begins to form clumps.  Overall, it will resemble coarse crumbs.   Dump dough into a large mixing bowl.

Test pastry by squeezing some of it between your fingertips.  If it seems a little dry and not quite packable, drizzle a teaspoon or so of cold water over the pastry and work it in with your fingertips.  Using your hands, pack the pastry into two balls, one slightly larger than the other;  the larger ball will be your bottom crust.  Knead each ball once or twice on a lightly floured work surface, then flatten into ¾-inch-thick disks.  Wrap disks in plastic wrap and refigerate at least 1 hour before rolling.  About 10 minutes before rolling, transfer pastry to freezer to make it even firmer.