Gingered Pear & Raspberry Pandowdy

Step 1: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400-degree F. Butter a 9-inch cast iron skillet or 9-inch deep dish pie pan. (*NOTE: Though I've made this in a cast iron skillet, I found that it works best in a pie pan for the fact that as the pandowdy sits, the fruit at the bottom takes on a metal taste*).

Step 2: To make the fruit filling, rub the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl, then add the pears and lemon juice, and vanilla extract; toss until evenly coated. Gently fold in the raspberries; transfer the fruit to the pan. Distribute the butter atop the fruit.

Step 3: To make the biscuit, whisk the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Add the butter and toss until evenly coated. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the size of large peas. (Alternately, you can put the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of large peas, then transfer to a bowl.) Stir in the candied ginger, then pour in the 2/3 cup buttermilk and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. The dough will be crumbly, with large pieces of butter still visible.

Step 4: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently press the dough together, then press it into a 9-inch circle. Carefully place the dough atop the fruit. Brush the dough with the 1 tablespoon buttermilk, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Bake in the lower third the oven for 30 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the juices are bubbly and thick. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Step 5: Storage: Covered with a tea towel, this pandowdy will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.