Cranberry Hazelnut Pie



Pie Crust Ingredients:

• 2-oz. whole Hazelnuts
• 1 3/4 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Confectioner's Sugar
• 1/2 tsp. Lemon Zest (Grated lemon rind)
• 1/2 tsp. ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold cut into small bits
• 1 large Egg, separated

Pie Filling Ingredients:

• 12-oz. Cranberries (3 cups)
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1 stick Cinnamon, broken in half

Instructions:
Pre-heat the oven to 375-F degrees.

To prepare the pie crust, toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet for about 8 to 10 minutes. While still warm, rub the hazelnuts together in a clean kitchen towel to remove the skins. Let cool, then process until finely ground in a blender or food processor. Measure out 1/2 cup of toasted, ground hazelnuts.

Process the 1/2 cup of ground hazelnuts with the flour, sugar, lemon zest, and cinnamon in the same food processor or blender, until just combined, about 10 seconds.

Scatter the butter bits over the top of the mixture and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Measure 1 1/2 Tbs. of the egg white and reserve for glazing the pie.

Drizzle the remainder of the egg over the pastry and process until the dough is gathered into a rough ball. Shape the dough into a disk and refrigerate, wrapped in plastic, for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the pie filling by heating the cranberries, sugar, water and broken cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly until the cranberries are thick and jam-like, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

Re-heat the oven to 375-F degrees. Separate the hazelnut pastry into thirds. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry to form a 12-inch circle. Trim the edges to size and press the pastry into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch spring form pan.

Roll the remaining-one-third of the hazelnut pastry into a 9-inch circle and cut into ten 1/2-inch thick strips to form a lattice top for the pie. Freeze the pastry strips on a baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes to firm.

Spoon the cooled pie filling into the pastry-lined tin, making sure to remove the cinnamon stick pieces, and smooth out the top with a spatula.

Gently lift the pastry strips from the baking sheet with a table knife inserted below the dough to support the soft mixture and arrange the strips to form a lattice top, leaving about 1/2-inch pie peeking between the lattice layers. Using the last 3 strips, create a crimped edge in one continuous ring around the entire pie. Brush the lattice edge with the reserved egg white.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the pastry is golden. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes to set. Remove the side of the spring form pan and allow to cool completely before serving.

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