Ginger-Pear Hand Pies

• 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
• 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)

1. Whisk together the eggs and 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a medium bowl until thick and pale yellow.
2. Whisk in the lemon juice, then whisk in the flour, ground ginger, and pinch of salt; set aside.
3. 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.
4. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard the solids.
5. Whisking constantly, pour the butter mixture into the egg mixture; whisk until combined.
6. Melt the remaining tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
7. Add the pears and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and tablespoon sugar; cook, stirring, until the pears are soft, about 5 minutes.
8. Let cool, about 10 minutes.
9. Fold the pear mixture into the egg mixture; set aside.
10. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick.
11. Using a paring knife or 5-inch cookie cutter, cut 8 rounds from the dough.
12. Gently press the rounds into 8 cups of a 12-cup standard muffin tin, making pleats around the edges and gently pressing to seal.
13. Fill each with 6 tablespoons pear mixture.
14. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
15. Preheat the oven to 375F.
16. Bake the pies until the crusts and filling are golden brown, about 30 minutes.
17. Let cool in tins on a wire rack, about 20 minutes.
18. Unmold; let cool completely on rack.
19. Just before serving, dust with confectioners sugar.
20. Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
21. Add the butter and shortening; pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 times.
22. With the processor running, pour in the vinegar, then 1/4 cup ice water; process just until the dough comes together.
23. (If the dough is still crumbly, add up to 1/4 more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.)
24. Pat the dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic.
25. Refrigerate the dough until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
26. The dough can also be frozen up to 1 month; thaw completely in the refrigerator.

eggs, sugar, lemon juice, flour, ground ginger, salt, butter, vanilla bean, fresh ginger, firmfleshed, pie pastry, confectioners sugar, flour, sugar, salt, cold unsalted butter, cold vegetable shortening, white vinegar, water

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ginger-pear-hand-pies-392967 (may not work)