pi π PIE day!
One of my all time favorite desserts I made about 8 years ago was this beautiful, rustic pear tart…it haunts me every time I stumble upon a throwback picture of it or frankly any time I see a picture of a rustic tart! And since my mid-twenties improv baker-self didn’t think to write down the recipe, that one may just need to get filed under the unique one-hit-wonder category.
With the inspiration of this epic tart in mind, I wanted to reinvent the memory in honor of this year’s pi day! Easily one of my top 3 favorite memories of chem class. This super easy, open faced pie (hehe) or tart can be evolved to suit the season — lemon, lemon blueberry, key lime, blood orange, pistachio, strawberry — I’m personally already dreaming of the peach iteration! YUM! Let the countdown to summer begin. In the meantime, here’s the super simple and nutritious treat to enjoy solo or with the whole crew:
INGREDIENTS
CRUST
✧ 1 c flour
✧ 1 tsp Manuka honey
✧ 1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt
✧ 6 tbsp grass-fed unsalted butter
✧ 5 tbsp ice cold filtered water
FRANGIPANE FILLING
✧ 6 tbsp grass-fed unsalted butter melted and cooled
✧ 2/3 c pure cane sugar or 1/2 c honey
✧ 1 c almond flour
✧ 4 pasture-raised eggs
✧ 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
✧ 1 tsp pure almond extract
✧ 3 large pears, thinly sliced
✧ 4 tbsp turbinado sugar
NOTES
꩜ Shop wild, organic (spices & oils included) & in season whenever possible, plus make sure to fully clean all residue off produce with baking soda prior to cooking.
꩜ I cook with very little flour, but when I do use it, I like Jovial, Organic Einkorn All-Purpose Flour. I just feel like it’s one of the cleanest, accessible options and leaves me feeling better.
BAKING EQUIPMENT
6 mini ruffled pie dishes — or alternative baking dishes — I just LOVE the mini-vintage bake-wear look and portioning
INSTRUCTIONS
1. For the crust, combine flour and salt.
2. Carefully cut the butter into flour until it is pea-sized.
3. Combine honey and cold water, then add to dough, working in with fork until it comes together and gently knead with hands to incorporate any loose pieces, but be very careful to not overwork the dough. And if the dough is too dry, add a teeny bit more water until it just comes together.
4. Shape the dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour.
5. While the dough is chilling, make the filling and pre-heat the oven to 375°F. In a medium sized bowl mix melted (and cooled) butter, sugar, almond flour, egg, vanilla extract and almond extract. Also, de-core and thinly slice the pears — place bowl with filling and pears in fridge until pie dishes are ready to go in the oven.
6. Remove the dough from the fridge and press equal amounts into pre-buttered pie dishes. Pour filling equally across the dishes, artfully arrange pear slides across the top of each and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
7. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until the pies are golden and flaky. Let full cool and serve! Or as I prefer, chill overnight and serve the following day.
Some functional food for thought —
PEARS
Pears (with skin on) are a fantastic source of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, including prebiotics, which are essential to bowl regularity, constipation relief and overall digestive health! On top of all of this, pears can help you feel full longer due to their high water and fiber count, which can even help you maintain a healthy weight! Additionally, pears are a rich source of flavonoids (aka antioxidants) that can help reduce inflammation and protect against heart disease and diseases. Plus, pears are also rich in potent antioxidants, procyanidins and quercetin, which can boost heart health by improving blood pressure and cholesterol. Eating pears regularly has even been cited to reduce stroke risk…so long story short, there’s no harm in finding way to incorporate more pears into our diets. I’d be shocked if anyone isn’t snacking on slices of pears on the side while making this treat! :)
MANUKA HONEY
Let’s talk a little about this super healer honey! All honey is known for its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, but Manuka honey is believed to be stronger a fighting bacteria. On top of this, Manuka honey is darker, thicker and creamier than regular honey, so at least from my standpoint, feels significantly more luxurious. Admittedly, Manuka honey is less readily available than other types of honey, so it is more expensive. Luckily, because Manuka honey is thicker, less is needed, so it should theoretically last longer than our average jars of honey.
(HOMEMADE/WHOLE INGREDIENT) DESSERT
Yes, enjoying dessert is good for you health! And allow me to share my top 3 reasons for why I strongly believe this!
1. MENTAL HEALTH
2. WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
3. ENERGY
The more we restrict ourselves, the more we’re going to crave what we’re restricting ourselves from — which in turn, may not be good for our mental health or weight weight management. For instance, if we’re thinking of how much we want some chocolate, but then deprive ourselves of said chocolate, there is a much greater probability we will binge on chocolate at some point in the near future and/or even justify eating less healthful food throughout our day since we did were so “good” at avoiding the chocolate when we wanted it. There are many unhealthy cycles we can develop, it’s most ideal to listen to our bodies and eat intuitively.
On top of this, dieting that involves sudden decreases to our intake of carbohydrates and sugar deprives our bodies of the necessary glucose needed for energy. This can lead to us feeling sluggishness, experience mental fog and distraction, as well as potentially feel depressed! The mind body connection is ever present.
There’s no reason to not enjoy dessert in moderation — life is meant to be sweet! When we take a bite out of our favorite desserts and our moods instantly level up, it’s due to the fact that foods with naturally high percentages of carbohydrates help the brain and body to produce chemicals (including serotonin) that contribute to overall emotional well being. The benefits of enjoying dessert simply outweighs the negative impact.
As with everything I make, I love to know the ingredients will fuel not only a beautiful plate, but a beautiful feeling inside. Steeped in the culture of being raised in Japanese and Italian homes, I understand the magnitude of importance food holds. I also believe in the philosophy of eating to live versus living to eat. It really is not about deprivation, it’s about remaining mindful and raising the vibration — no matter how incredible something taste’s, it’s also about how it “tastes” to our minds, bodies and souls that will keep the true “deliciousness” with us long past the moment of actual consumption. Pillars I continue to remind myself:
1. The quality of ingredients matter.
2. Less is always more.
3. Think loving thoughts while cooking and the food will taste better! #truth
4. Remain present while enjoying the intimate act of eating, it’s a game changer.
With love & gratitude, cheers to your good health!
medical disclaimer: all information is intended for general information purposes only and should not be considered as personal medical advice. individuals should always consult their healthcare provider before administering any of the suggestions made on thebalancedcalm.com to ensure they are appropriate for their specific circumstance.
