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Grandma's Pear Squares

Print Recipe
Course Desserts
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

For The Crust
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten free
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, frozen
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For The Filling
  • 10 ripe Bartlett pears (about 5 pounds) or 10 Apples, such as Honeycrisp
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or gluten free all-purpose
  • 1 cup ground gingersnap cookies store bought or homemade (see recipe below)
For The Glaze
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Make The Crust

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Set a box grater over the flour mixture and grate the butter and lard on the medium-sized holes directly into the dry ingredients. Use your fingers to rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles course, pea-sized crumbs.
  • Fill a large glass with about 1/2 cup water, add some ice to the glass, and let the water chill for a few minutes. Remove the ice cubes from the water, pour off any extra water so you have 1/2 cup, and add the lemon juice. Pour the lemon water into the dry ingredients and use your hands to stir until the mixture forms a shaggy dough that holds together when pressed (stir in up to 1/4 cup of additional cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time as needed).
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until it just comes together, 3 to 4 minutes. Set the dough on a large sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to a week, or freeze up to 2 weeks (thaw in the fridge overnight before using).

Make The Filling

  • Peel, halve, core, and slice the pears lengthwise into paper-thin slices. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice to prevent browning. Toss with the granulated sugar and flour and set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 20by 15-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Carefully roll the dough around the rolling pin to make it easy to lift and unroll it over a 12 by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet (if the dough tears slightly, that's okay; just press it back together). Press the dough in to the bottom and up the sides of the pan, pressing any cracks together (it's a very forgiving dough). Trim off any dough hanging over the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the ground gingersnap cookies evenly over the dough and layer the pears horizontally over the gingersnap crumbs. Bake until the crust is golden brown and pulls away from the sides of the pan and the pears are tender, about 1 hour 10 minutes, rotating the pan every 20 minutes.
  • RIGHT BEFORE THE SQUARES ARE DONE BAKING, MAKE THE GLAZE: In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioner's sugar, water, and vanilla until smooth.
  • Remove the pear squares from the oven and set the baking sheet over a wire rack. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the top and let cool completely, about 4 hours. Once cooled, cut into 24 squares. The squares keep, covered, for 1 week in the refrigerator or for 4 to 6 months in the freezer, tightly wrapped.