Recipe courtesy of Alex Guarnaschelli

Strawberry Pandowdy

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 1 hr 55 min (includes chilling and cooling time)
  • Active: 55 min
  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Dough:

Filling:

Directions

  1. For the dough: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, ginger and salt. Add the shortening in spoonfuls, then the butter, and pulse 12 to 15 times to combine. Add the ice water through the top and blend until the dough forms a loose ball, 15 to 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment or plastic wrap and sandwich it with another piece on top. Flatten the dough to a 6-inch disc and refrigerate for 20 minutes and up to 8 hours.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
  3. On a flat surface, spread a thin layer of flour and roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thick. Use a knife to cut the dough into rectangles about 1 inch long and 3/4 inch wide. Ideally, you want between 25 and 30 rectangles (you can also cut small rounds, squares or any other shape). Transfer the dough pieces to the lined sheet tray. Brush the dough with the egg wash and par-bake the dough until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
  4. For the filling: In a 10-inch heavy-bottomed saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, remove the pan from the heat and add half the strawberries. Return the pan to the heat and cook over high heat to allow some of the water to escape, for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the berries to a large bowl and return the pan to the heat. Heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil and add the rest of the strawberries. Cook in the same manner for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the other cooked strawberries.
  5. In the pan, whisk together the jam, sugar, honey and molasses and simmer over medium-high heat so all the ingredients meld together, 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice into a small bowl and add the zest, then whisk in the cornstarch until smooth. Stir the slurry into the jam mixture and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, stirring frequently, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour over the berries in the bowl and stir to coat.
  6. Transfer the berry mixture back to the pan. Arrange the pie dough rectangles directly on top of the filling in a circular pattern, each overlapping slightly, like shingles on a house. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until the pie crust shingles are golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. (If the pie shingles sink slightly, that's OK.) Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar if desired and serve.

Cook’s Note

"Pandowdy" is thought to be a loose, playful interpretation of the word dough and describes this tasty American dessert. While it's most traditionally made with apples, it's a skillet pie with the crust on top. This is a dessert that has been around since the early 19th century. Here, we are making it intensely strawberry with a little raspberry jam and lemon as other subtle flavors. You could also use blueberries. While a cast-iron pan would certainly be pretty for presentation, I prefer a sturdy stainless so that there is no cast-iron flavor in the dessert.