I Heart Annie Dog

The one individual who gives me love every day, whether I like it or not, is Annie Dog. Many of you have met my puppy, but others have not ever been around this little ball of energy. The side that just about everyone sees is this precocious and slightly obnoxious little dog who doesn't quite understand personal space. I can't help but love her though.

The moment that I love my doggy most is when I'm in the kitchen. She'll sit at my feet with her beagle nose in the air, and gaze at me with endless wonder and amazement. Annie makes me feel like a queen while I'm cooking, and it's a wonderful boost to my confidence.

This Valentine's Day, I'm going to give my gratitude and appreciation to Annie...maybe with a long walk or extra treats. I hope she knows how much I love her company, especially in the kitchen!

Pear-Raspberry Heart Pies
For the pastry :
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 tsp salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp ice water

For the filling:
2 firm, ripe pears (Anjou, Bartlett), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup fresh raspberries, coarsley chopped
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1 Tbsp heavy cream, for egg wash
Sanding sugar for sprinkling

Make the pastry: Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 5 seconds.

Evenly drizzle ice water over mixture. Pulse until mixture just begins to hold together, about 10 seconds. Turn out dough onto plastic wrap, and wrap. Shape into a disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or overnight.

Make the filling: Toss pears with lemon juice. Melt butter in a medium skillet over med-high heat. Add pears, and toss to coat. Cook, adding sugar a little at a time, until pears begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in nutmeg. Transfer to a bowl, and mix in raspberries.

Divide dough in half, and roll out each piece to 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Drain pear-raspberry filling in a sieve. Cut out 20 hearts from dough unsing a 4-inch cutter, transferring them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush rims of half the hearts with egg wash, and top each with 4 heaping teaspoons filling. Top with remaining hearts, and gently press around sides to seal.

Brush pie tops with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.