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To make the pie pastry,
put the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl,
stir to combine, then put the bowl in the
freezer for 10 minutes.
Add
the butter to the flour mixture and toss to
evenly coat. Cut the butter into the flour
mixture using a pastry blender, a food
processor, an electric mixer, or your hands,
just until the mixture becomes coarse and
crumbly and the butter is the size of peas.
Stir the water and lemon juice together,
then pour over the dry ingredients and stir
just until the dry ingredients are
moistened.
Dump
the dough onto a well-floured work surface
and press it into a 6-inch disk. Wrap in
plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1
hour.
Roll
the chilled dough into a 14-inch disk, then
line a 9 or 10 by 3-inch spring form pan
with the rolled-out dough. Patch any holes
and trim off any dough that hangs over the
edges of the pan. Chill for an additional 30
minutes while you prepare the crumb topping
and the fruit filling.
To
make the walnut crumb topping, mix the
flour, brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and
salt together in a bowl. Stir in the butter,
then work it in with your hands until the
texture of crumbs. Put the topping in the
refrigerator while you make the fruit
filling.
Position
a rack in the lower third of the oven and
preheat the oven to 375°F.
To
make the fruit filling, remove the stem from
each fig, then boil the figs in 1 cup of
water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside
until cool enough to handle.
Slice
each fig into 4 to 5 pieces, put them in a
large bowl, and add the apples, pears, and
cranberries. Separately, rub the sugar and
cornstarch together, then add to the fruit
and gently toss until evenly
coated.
Tran
sfer the
filling to the pie shell and top with the
walnut crumb. Bake in the lower third of the
oven for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the
crumb is golden, the fruit juices are
bubbling thickly around the edges, and the
fruit is tender when pierced with a wooden
skewer. If the crumb is getting too dark,
cover it with foil.
Storage:
Covered with a tea towel, the pie will keep
at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Spooned into a bowl and drizzled with
chilled cream, it makes a wonderful
breakfast.
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