prettiest pie ever!
Peaches are now über ripe so what else is there to do other than make peach pie, right? I’m on a pie roll and I can’t quite stop. I spent a little tutelage time last week at the Pie Master’s house, and we tried out four different pie doughs! Oil and flour, lard and flour, butter, egg, vinegar and flour, and lastly, butter, shortening, cake flour and all purpose flour. Because I’ve had several failed pie crust attempts in the past, I had my doubts about each dough. All crusts turned out successfully, in their own way. In the end, it’s all about your personal taste preference. We had a crust tasting and by far my favorite crust was Julia Child’s, which also included the cake flour. It was light, flaky, buttery, and crisp. Thank-you Julia!
clockwise from the L, lard, julia, oil, and egg. the lard crust tasted like bacon!
Firstly, make the dough. Whatever your dough recipe preference is, please use that. Julia’s is below listed. Make sure you chill it for an hour in the fridge (or overnight). You can also freeze it for up to a month. Next, let’s make sure we’ve got some nice peaches. Luckily the Georgia Peach Truck folks are all over Nashville right now, so it’s easy access for me to obtain perfect peaches.
lovely peaches
Preheat your oven to 400. I suggest peeling your peaches for pie. I tried this pie with skin and without; I definitely preferred the peaches without skin. No one likes to deal with tough peach skin. For easy peeling, mark an “x” on the bottom of each peach and place in boiling water for 1 minute. Using a paring knife, peel from the “x” points downward and the skins should come off easily.
stir it up!
Ok, your peaches are peeled and sliced and it’s time to mix the rest of the filling together. In a separate small bowl, combine the sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, flour, cornstarch, and lemon zest. Whisk until well mixed, then add to the bowl of sliced peaches. Stir carefully, so as not to break up your peach slices. Lastly, pour the lemon juice over top the peach mixture. Place bowl in fridge while you roll out the pie dough. Roll out enough dough for a 1 1/2″ overhang over your pie plate, trimming the excess overage. (My pie plate was a 9″ size.) If you get cracks or tears, take a piece from an excess side and patch them. Try to obtain an even thickness and sprinkle flour as you go to deter sticking. If you want a polka dot crust, now would be the time to put holes in the top crust. Place the bottom pie dough in the pan and allow it to slump naturally down the sides of the pie pan, then pour in the peach filling.
mmmm peaches
Lastly, you are ready to place your top crust over the filling. Whether you use polka dots or knife slits, you must make some sort of hole in the top crust to allow steam to escape. I’d hate for you to have an exploding pie in your oven! Tuck the edges under together, then crimp using the pointer and thumb fingers of your left hand, while pushing the pointer finger of your right hand in-between the pointer and thumb of your left hand. Clear as mud?
perfect pie sunburst!
However, pies DO ooze, so it’s a good idea to place your pie on a sheet pan just so you don’t drip peach juice all over the bottom of the oven. Last step; brush pie with milk and sprinkle coarse sugar over top. I also sprinkled a little cinnamon and it added a brown luster to the finished pie’s top.
mmmm sugar
Bake the pie at 400 for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 and bake another hour. Remove pie from oven when crust is browned and magnificent, and juices are bubbly.
definitely do not forget the vanilla ice cream
If you want a perfectly cut, solidified piece, allow your pie to cool for at least four hours before serving. If you want hot pie that looks like a mess but still tastes amazing, cut it now. For Pete’s sake, please do not forget the vanilla ice cream!!!
Peach Pie
Prep time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Makes: 1 pie
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cake or pastry flour
- 1 stick of cold, cubed unsalted butter
- 1 stick of cold, cubed shortening
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold water
Method:
- In a food processor add flours, butter and shortening. Pulse together 5 short pulses.
- Fill a measuring cup with ice and add water. Slowly pour water into food processor, pulsing in-between pours, until dough begins to form.
- Once dough sticks together yet seems pliable, scoop onto floured surface and kneed 10 times. If dough seems too sticky, add a little more flour. Not sticky enough, add more water, a tablespoon at at time.
- Cut dough in half, form 2 discs, and wrap with plastic wrap.
- Let chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before rolling.
- 8 peaches
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- zest from one lemon
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- milk, for washing
- coarse sugar (such as Demerara) with cinnamon for sprinkling (about 1-2 tablespoons of sugar, 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon)
Method:
- Preheat oven to 400. Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Mark an “x” on the bottom of each peach and place in boiling water for 1 minute. Using a paring knife, peel from the “x” points downward and the skins should come off easily. Slice peaches into evenly sized pieces and place in a large bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, flour, cornstarch, and lemon zest. Whisk until well mixed, then add to the bowl of sliced peaches. Stir carefully, and then add the lemon juice, stirring once more. Place peaches in fridge while rolling out the pie dough.
- Using a 9″ pie plate, roll out enough dough for a 1 1/2″ overhang over the pie plate, trimming the excess overage. If you get cracks or tears, take a piece from an excess side to patch. Try to obtain an even thickness, sprinkling flour to deter sticking.
- Place the bottom pie dough in the pan and allow it to slump naturally down the sides of the pie pan, then pour in the peach filling.
- Place the top crust over the pie filling and tuck the edges of both the top and bottom doughs under together. Crimp using the pointer and thumb fingers of your left hand, while pushing the pointer finger of your right hand in-between the pointer and thumb of your left hand.
- Place your pie on a sheet pan and brush with milk. Sprinkle coarse sugar over top with cinnamon.
- Bake the pie at 400 for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 and bake another hour. Remove pie from oven when crust is browned and juices are bubbly.
- Allow pie to sit for 4 hours before serving to solidify. Serve with vanilla ice cream and do not forget to collect accolades!
Gorgeous!
What a beauty! Makes me want to make it right now! 🙂
Adding cinnamon & sugar to the top is a nice touch!