This is a yummy and not too sweet dessert. It's especially good with vanilla ice cream :) This recipe makes four little crostatas which are perfect for 2-4 people (depending on how big of pieces you want?). I like to freeze them before baking so that I always have a treat waiting to be baked up for snuggly movie nights.
Pecan Pastry Dough
2/3 cup pecans
3.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut up
4 tablespoons sugar
2 egg
2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
4 tablespoons ice water
Extra flour (for sprinkling)
Filling
4 pears, peeled, quartered and diced
1/2 cup candied ginger, minced
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
Topping:
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons raw sugar
Directions:
1) Toast the pecans lightly in a dry skillet until fragrant. Chop finely or grind in the blender.
2) Combine pecans, flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl or food processor.
3) Cut in butter and sugar until mixture resembles crumbs.
4) Add eggs, vinegar and water, mix until the dough makes a ball.
5) Combine filling ingredients in a separate bowl.
6) Split dough into four balls. Roll each out into a circle with the dough about a 1/2 cm thick. If you break the pastry just squish it back together, it's very forgiving.
7) Put a quarter of the filling on the center of each pastry circle and fold the edges of the dough up to hold it in.
8) If you are freezing some, freeze them at this stage on a cookie sheet, then when solidly frozen, store in a zip lock.
9) Paint the top of the pastry crust with whole milk, then sprinkle with sugar.
10) Bake at 400 until the pastry is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
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