Ingredients

Makes 8

　　2 large eggs

　　2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

　　2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

　　1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

　　1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

　　1/4 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt

　　9 tablespoons (1 1/8 sticks) unsalted butter

　　1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped

　　3 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger

　　2 firm-fleshed pears, such as Bosc, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

　　Pie Pastry (recipe follows)

　　Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

　　

Pie Pastry

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

　　1 teaspoon sugar

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

　　1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening

　　1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

　　1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

　　(makes enough for 8 hand pies)

　　

Step 1

Whisk together the eggs and 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a medium bowl until thick and pale yellow. Whisk in the lemon juice, then whisk in the flour, ground ginger, and pinch of salt; set aside.

　　

Step 2

Put 8 tablespoons butter, the vanilla bean and seeds, and grated ginger in a small saucepan; cook over medium-high heat until the butter foams and browns, about 5 minutes. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard the solids. Whisking constantly, pour the butter mixture into the egg mixture; whisk until combined.

　　

Step 3

Melt the remaining tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pears and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and tablespoon sugar; cook, stirring, until the pears are soft, about 5 minutes. Let cool, about 10 minutes. Fold the pear mixture into the egg mixture; set aside.

　　

Step 4

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Using a paring knife or 5-inch cookie cutter, cut 8 rounds from the dough. Gently press the rounds into 8 cups of a 12-cup standard muffin tin, making pleats around the edges and gently pressing to seal. Fill each with 6 tablespoons pear mixture. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

　　

Step 5

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the pies until the crusts and filling are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool in tins on a wire rack, about 20 minutes. Unmold; let cool completely on rack. Just before serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar.

　　

Pie Pastry

Step 6

Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and shortening; pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 times.

　　

Step 7

With the processor running, pour in the vinegar, then 1/4 cup ice water; process just until the dough comes together. (If the dough is still crumbly, add up to 1/4 more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.)

　　

Step 8

Pat the dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate the dough until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. The dough can also be frozen up to 1 month; thaw completely in the refrigerator.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group.Buy the full book from Amazon.