For those of you who know me, you know that I love art, love to create, love to study art, artists, cultures, the historical, social and psychological influences...can't get enough of the decadent, crazy behaviors and lifestyles of most artists...speaking of decadent, I stumbled upon a supposedly authentic Renaissance treat from this website. Who knows when I'll get around to making this masterpiece...If any of you make it, let me know and post pics! I'm sure it will bring out your inner Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo or Raphael.

Apple and Pear Renaissance Pie Recipe

Tourte aux Pommes et aux Poires… This classic renaissance dessert is most likely what led to our contemporary version of an apple pie! A warm, sumptuous after dinner treat!

Preparation Time: 25 minutes (+ 10 minutes if making your own crust)
Cooking Time: about 40 minutes 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Apples
1/2 lb. Pears
2 oz. Butter 
4 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
2 tbsp. Rose Water (if you can't find rose water, use white wine)
Additional Butter for baking dish

2 Pie Crusts (see recipe below or use a good pre-made crust)

How to Make It:

Preheat oven to 375°F
1. Put crust in refrigerator. Peel apples and Pears and cut into medium-thick slices.
2. Sauté fruit in the butter over a medium flame until tender. Stir in 2 tbsp. sugar. Then, take off heat and let cool off completely.
3. Butter baking dish. Take crusts out of refrigerator and roll out one crust so that it is about 2 inches larger than the pie dish. Fit crust into dish, so that edges are evenly overhanging. Fill with cooled apples and pears. Roll out second crust and cover the fruit. Fold over the edges and pinch to form a "crown". Put in oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
4. Mix rose water and 2 tbsp. sugar. Take pie out of oven and cover top with rose water mixture. Put back in oven for a few minutes, until the top shimmers!
Voilà!

Variations:

If you would like, you can sprinkle the bottom of the pie with a couple of tablespoons of ground almond powder. A favorite ingredient of renaissance desserts and often used in pies and tartes.

You can also make this same recipe by substituting the pears with peaches.

Last but not least, you can also soak 1/4 cup raisins in rose water for 30 minutes and then add the fruits right after stirring in the sugar. 

Serving Ideas:
Ice cream was invented during the renaissance by Italian chefs… so feel free to serve alongside this luscious pie!

Crust Recipe for Apple Pear Pie

Ingredients for Crust:
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Refrigeration Time: 30 minutes

2 2/3 cup Flour
4 Eggs
8 oz. Butter (chilled!)
2 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
2 tbsp. Ground Almond Powder (optional) Pinch of Salt

How to Make Crust:

1. Mix salt, sugar, and flour.
2. Cut chilled butter into small pieces and mix into flour with finger tips. Stop working batter once it looks like "sand".
3. Make a well and pour in eggs. Incorporate into flour using your fingers and a spatula.
4. Once homogenous, form a ball, place on a floured surface and knead for 10 seconds. Divide in half, form two separate balls. Wrap each one in plastic, or put in separate plastic bags. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.
Voilà!