Goooood moooorning world! Hope everyone is going well! Is there anything at all like waking up to the smell of warm pie. Cinnamon, Apples, Pears, buttery crust wafting through the air everywhere you go in the house. I made this pie last weekend for a local pie contest called the Hi-Fi Pie Contest—which I didn't win (womp womp)—but the person who did win had a gorgeous looking fresh fig and pear tart on a bed of goat cheese and it looked great!

But I've talked so much already about pies and galettes in the past I'm pretty sure you know how much I love pie and baking now, and that's amazing considering I've never baked before in my life.

Anyway, this pie. Yeah, this awesome Pie is just... awesome. Sweet and tart Green apples and ripe pears with fresh orange zest, cinnamon, fennel seeds and toasted pecans, all inside a homemade crust.The orange zest really shines through and the pecans bring good texture and bite!

Sounds good right? Well then here's the recipe!

But first, I had some fun shooting these colorful and vibrant fruits. Here are some photos!

The details on these babies are amazing.

Hi-Fi Pie: Apple and Pear Pie with Raisins, Pecans and Fennel seeds

Makes 1 large 9 inch pie

Ingredients

Pie dough (I use this recipe)

4 ripe Anjou pears

4 green Apples

1 tbsp fresh ground Cinnamon

1 tbsp Fennel seed powder (fresh ground)

1/2 cup Raisins

1/2 cup toasted Pecans

Zest of 1 Orange

1 Orange juiced

1/4 cup Brown sugar

1/2 cup regular sugar (use less if needed)

1/8 tsp Salt

1 egg

Tools needed

Food processor (with the kneader attachment)

Apple Corer

Prepare the pie dough as suggested in the recipe and leave it in the fridge along with your baking trays. I usually cool every singe thing that comes in contact with the pie dough when I start baking, that means the fats (butter) doesn't start melting in the dough cavities and that makes for a not so flaky crust. And remember, a good pie crust starts with chilled butter and very cold iced water.

Pie "dough" isn't a dough yet. Use you hands to pack it all together and place in fridge.

Next we make our filling.

Core the apples and pears and cut them in thin slices.

Move the cut fruit into a large bowl.

Grind some fresh Cinnamon and Fennel seeds and add it to the fruit. Add the raisins and chopped pecans.

Zest and juice 1 Orange. Add it to the fruit. Add the sugars and the salt. Mix it all together and place in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.

In the meantime preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

After 20 minutes bring out the dough to your working surface and split it into roughly 2 halves. Start rolling out one half of the dough with lightly floured hands and rolling pin. Bring out the pie tins and transfer the rolled out dough into the tin by rolling the flat dough back onto the pin and unrolling onto the tin.

Roll out the other half the same way and using a pizza wheel, cut into 1/2" wide strips for the lattice.

Press the base dough into the nooks and crannies of the baking tin to make sure it's set evenly.

You have to work quickly here, add the fruit mix into the tin and spread evenly. Place the pie strips on top as you desire and give it an egg wash with a pastry brush and sprinkle some sugar on top. Now the pie is ready to send it into the oven!

Bake the pie for 45 minutes or so and check it for doneness soon after. You can broil it for 5 minutes or so to get some nice color.

And then, when you bring it out...

Oh those valleys of butter and sugar and fruit.

I had a great day, and a great time baking this pie! I love the way the house smells when it's baking and the joy of people cutting into your pie with smiles is precious love money!

Check out some photos I took at the contest.

Sweet Pears and Apples with Raisins and Pecans with the brightness of Orange.

As soon as you bite into the pie, the pie crust just crumbles in your mouth and then the apples and pear bring warm gooey sweetness accented immediately by a pronounced and sweet Orange flavor and notes of cinnamon and Fennel linger in the back. Just delicious!

I hope you can try this at home too!

Love, hugs and Nomaste