Ingredients

For pie crust:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

6 Tbs butter

4 Tbs Crisco

1/3 cup cold water

For pie filling:

5 cups Bartlett pears, peeled and sliced (about 4 medium pears)

1 cup dried Calimyrna figs

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. corn starch

1/8 tsp salt

2 Tbs. fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped(2 or 3 small roots)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 Tbs butter

To glaze piecrust:

1 egg white

1 Tbs water

1 tsp sugar

Preparation

For pie crust:

  1. Sift flour and salt together.
  2. Add the butter and Crisco, cut into small pieces.
  3. Work the fats into the flour with fingers until mixture is the consistency of corn meal.
  4. Add the water. If the mixture is too dry, add more cold water a Tbs at a time until mixture is thoroughly mixed.
  5. Turn out onto a floured workspace and knead briefly until just smooth.
  6. Divide into 2 pieces, wrap each in plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes.

For pie:

  1. Trim any stems from the figs, slice in half lengthwise and put in a small bowl.
  2. Cover sliced figs with water and soak while slicing the pears.
  3. Put pears and figs in a medium bowl.
  4. Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt and sprinkle over fruit. Toss well.
  5. Peel and chop ginger and add to fruit. Add lemon juice and stir well.
  6. Set fruit aside while rolling out 1 piece of pie crust to fit a 9 inch glass pie pan. Roll out top crust at this time, too, and set aside
  7. Fill bottom crust with fruit mixture. Dot all over with butter.
  8. Moisten the edges of the bottom crust with water, and cover the pie with the top crust. Crimp the two crusts together to seal.
  9. Beat the egg white well with water and brush mixture on the top crust to glaze. Sprinkle with the sugar. Cut steam vents into the top crust.
  10. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes, until filling is bubbly and crust is golden brown.