Missing steps in recipe (maybe)...

June 30, 2021 3:51 PM

I have a recipe for Italian Cinnamon Pear-Tart, but the instructions seem to be leaving something out. Or, maybe not? However, I am not sure how to proceed. I want to get something edible out of my efforts, rather than a burnt, crumbling mess leaking pear juice....

The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
2 tablespoons corn oil
4 Bartlett pears
4 sticks cinnamon
3 tablespoons brown sugar, divided

*Preheat oven to 350
*Combine flour, a little salt, apple juice and oil in mixing bowl. Stir to mix well until smooth, elastic texture appears. Pour mixture onto parchment paper. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
*Remove from refrigerator and roll out on lightly floured surface. Place in buttered 9-inch tart pan. Work dough so it covers bottom and sides evenly.
*Place in oven about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.
*Peel and slice pears. Place 2 sliced pears in small pan dish and sprinkle with cinnamon and half of sugar.
*Cook and stir over medium heat for 10 minutes or until pureed. Remove cinnamon sticks and discard.
*Fill crust with pear puree. Sprinkle with remaining sugar.
*Place back in oven about 20 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

What I don't understand is, how is the "crust" supposed to become more than a dried-out flour husk in the oven, lacking any rising agent whatsoever? I attempted to make it according to the directions, getting as far as putting in the fridge, but when I removed it, it was still a dismal-looking pancake-mix type thing that there was no way I could "roll out" let alone "work so it covers bottom and sides evenly." How am I supposed to get a "smooth, elastic texture" without yeast? Did the author leave ingredients out, assume knowledge on my part that I don't have, or use ingredients different from the ones specified (for example, since this is from an Italian-recipe cookbook, the use of a type of flour more commonly used in Italy than the US)? I am so confused. Someone suggested just to add more flour and proceed, but somehow (based on past baking disasters) I don't think that will work. Any suggestions? It feels like one of those "Great British Baking Show" challenges... only I am not nearly as talented a baker as those contestants. I do not feel up to experimenting with this recipe unassisted, but I do have some pears I would like to use up. :)

posted by Crystal Fox to Food & Drink (11 answers total)

Regular pie crust doesn’t contain raising agent. You have have here flour, liquid, and a fat, so it doesn’t seem obviously problematic? Crusts are often fussy, but a good strategy is to reduce the liquid a little if it seems unrollable.
posted by chocotaco at 4:00 PM on June 30, 2021

The proportions are correct for a fairly thick dough. Tart shells are more like a pie crust than a risen (yeast or baking powder) bread.

If your mixture is thin like pancake batter... sounds like you may have gotten the measurements wrong? Perhaps start again and this time just add the juice a bit at a time while stirring until it starts to come together and form a clump and then add the oil and begin kneading the dough in the bowl at that point. You can add more juice if it's too firm, or a bit more flour if it's too soft.
posted by ananci at 4:06 PM on June 30, 2021

There is simply no possible way that 1/2 cup of flour and just shy of 1/2 cup wet ingredients will make a thick dough mixture. I think one of the amounts there has to be incorrect.
posted by phunniemee at 4:17 PM on June 30, 2021 [6 favorites]

I think what ist wrong with the crust in this recipes is that it is too much liquid. Most pie crust recipes are a mix of flour and butter and cold water.
However there are vegan recipes for crust using oil such as this in from thespruceeats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons milk (or water or non-dairy beverage), cold
For the directions see the website.
Or solely add flour, spoon by spoon, to your existing dough, until you can shape it.
posted by 15L06 at 4:21 PM on June 30, 2021 [1 favorite]

You could also use this runny batter to make an upside down cake.
Slice the pears and lay them out in a heated, oiled, ovenproof pan, in one single layer. Sprinkle with sugar and over low heat let the pears get some colour. Then pour over the batter and place in the oven, until golden on top.
posted by 15L06 at 4:27 PM on June 30, 2021 [1 favorite]

Yeah the liquid proportions are off and they don't really tell you how to mix the dough for the crust. If I were making the crust I would start by mixing the oil and salt with the flour to get a crumbly texture then adding just enough of the apple juice to get a workable dough, maybe 1-2 tablespoons for half a cup of flour. I'd do it by hand not in the mixer to avoid overworking.

Usually people don't make pastry in that small of a quantity, even at home, because it gets fiddly. I'd do 2x or 4x the volume of dough and save the rest in the freezer.
posted by goingonit at 4:28 PM on June 30, 2021 [1 favorite]

Even allowing for liquid advice this is supposed to be a pretty thin crust that you have to work, I.e. stretch and prod to cover the tin including pushing it up the sides so it can later contain the purée. It isn’t designed to rise or anything like that. Depending on your preferences, this recipe may simply give you a crust that is thinner than you like. I like a bit of substance and I have been known to increase the crust recipe by 50% if I find myself in that situation. But this is not a recipe designed for kneading or for substance. So even if you give yourself a bit more dough to work with it still won’t give you a cake texture.
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:40 PM on June 30, 2021

In related, if one skips the pie crust aspect, a basic Pear-Crumble can be baked with diced pears, spices, sugar, granola, butter, and some flour. This can also be baked with pre-made shells, but it's a somewhat different recipe than above. Apologies for the digression.
posted by ovvl at 5:20 PM on June 30, 2021

If I were in your position, I'd go ahead and pour the crust mixture into the pan and bake it per instructions. It will be more cakey than crusty. I think the ratios are likely off, making this too liquid-y, but it is what it is at this point.

I think your filling may lack a bit of depth too. The recipe just seems destined to turn out mushy. I'd plan to possibly need to scoop it out and serve with ice cream.

This is a somewhat similar recipe that also has a cakey bottom. You might find some inspiration in the recipe.
posted by hydra77 at 5:25 PM on June 30, 2021

My guess is that it’s supposed to be 1 1/2 cups of flour. The proportions for a single pie crust are way off if you just use 1/2 c of flour. If I were making it, I’d start there, and reverse the measurements for the apple juice and the oil so that you’re using 1/4 c of oil and 2 tablespoons of juice.
posted by fancyoats at 6:57 PM on June 30, 2021 [4 favorites]

This recipe is either incorrect or terrible. I can’t imagine any kind of crust with so little fat. Seems like you’ve used, what, maybe 50 cents worth of ingredients at this point? Throw it out and make something else.
posted by neroli at 1:40 AM on July 1, 2021 [1 favorite]