Pear Crostata With Figs and Honey

From Bon Appetit, November 2010.

• Ready In: 4 hrs
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• Crust

• 1 2⁄3 cups  unbleached all purpose flour
• 1⁄3 cup cornmeal
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 cup  chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3  tablespoons  ice water (or more)

• Filling

• 1⁄4 cup  packed golden brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 2  tablespoons cornstarch
• 1  teaspoon  scant ground cardamom
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  coarse kosher salt
• 2 1⁄4 lbs Anjou pears, firm but ripe unpeeled, cored, each cut into 8 wedges (about 4)
• 10  calimyrna figs, dried but moist (about 4 ounces)
•  heavy whipping cream (for brushing)
•  raw sugar
• 2  tablespoons honey

Directions

1. The Technique: Free-Form Crust: Simply roll out the dough, mound the pear filling in the center, and fold the edges of the dough up and over the edge of the filling, creating free-form "sides" to hold in the fruit. No pressure, no crust anxiety. Just loosely shape the dough for a rustic and beautiful Thanksgiving dessert.
2. Crust: Blend first 4 ingredients in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Remove lid; spoon 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Return lid to processor; using on/off turns, blend mixture until dough forms ball, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Flatten dough into disk; wrap in plastic and chill at least 20 minutes. (DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.).
3. Filling: Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F Whisk first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Add pears and figs; toss gently. Roll dough out on lightly floured parchment to 14-inch square or round. Transfer parchment with rolled-out crust to rimless baking sheet. Mound pear mixture with juices in center of crust, leaving 2- to 3-inch plain dough border. Using parchment as aid, fold dough up over edges of pear mixture, pleating edges and pinching to seal any cracks in dough, forming square or round. Brush crust edges with cream; sprinkle generously with raw sugar.
4. Bake crostata until crust is golden, pears are tender, and juices are bubbling thickly, covering crust edges with foil if browning too quickly, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove crostata from oven; drizzle 2 tablespoons honey over hot filling. Run long thin knife or spatula around edges of warm crostata to loosen. Cool crostata on parchment on baking sheet until slightly warm, at least 1 hour. Transfer to platter. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.