My mother made this peachy bliss every summer when I was a kid. It's a simple dessert -- just peaches, sugar, and some spices nestled between two layers of gloriously-flaky French pastry dough. It's the kind of pie that says "eat me."
It's also the kind of pie that I can't be trusted alone with. I gave 2 big slices to my friend Brenda for taste-testing. The remaining pie was consumed by me and 3 food-savvy ghosts who inhabit this old house.
(((Burp.)))
To start, make the dough: Tip some flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2 seconds just to combine.
Then add 2 sticks cold, diced butter, and pulse the machine several times just to break up the butter.
You are probably clutching your pearls at this point. But honestly, 2 sticks of butter is not too much for a 2-crust pie. And if you think that a certain brand of "Ready-Made" pie crust is healthy, just examine the box. The label reads like a science experiment.
A science experiment for edible cardboard.
Next, pulse in some ice water. Add this a little at a time -- up to 1/2 cup -- until the dough resembles large grains of sand. Bits of butter should still be visible in the mix.
Test the dough frequently. The mix will look dry, but if it holds together when pressed between your fingers, it's good to go.
Dump the crumbly mass onto your work surface...
Then gather it into a ball. Cut the ball in half.
Press each half into a disk, and wrap individually in plastic. Then pop the disks into the fridge, and chill them for 30 minutes to firm up the butter. If you are not in a rush, you can chill the dough for up to 2 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
And while the dough is chilling, prepare the filling!
In a purple bowl, whisk together white and light-brown sugar --1/3 cup of each.
Also whisk in some cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little salt.
Then grind up 3 tablespoons "instant" or "Minute" tapioca in your electric spice-grinding gadget (or coffee grinder), and whisk the powder into the sugar mixture.
And by the way, tapioca -- whether it is ground or not -- does an infinitely-better job of thickening fruit juices than either cornstarch or flour. I grind the product to insure that it dissolves completely during baking. Otherwise, pearls of tapioca would be visible in the mix.
Now grab 3 1/2 - 4 pounds of peaches...
And peel them. A vegetable peeler with a serrated blade will manage the job in a jiff.
Otherwise, take the traditional road, and blanch the fruit. To do this, first cut an X in the blossom-end of each peach...
And poach the fruit in boiling water for exactly 2 minutes.
Then transfer the peaches to an ice bath, and let them chill for exactly 2 minutes.
If the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter is aligned with Mars, the peach skins will slip right off.
Just buy a serrated vegetable peeler, okay? I bought this inexpensive version from Amazon. It works like a charm.
Halve and pit the peaches, and then cut the halves into thirds or fourths.
Put the cut peaches in a big bowl...
And give them a sprinkling of freshly-squeezed lemon juice.
Then add the sugar mixture, and toss to coat. Let the peaches lounge and luxuriate for at least 10 minutes while they exude their juices.
Meanwhile, roll one disk of dough into a 12-inch diameter circle.
Place the dough in a standard 9-inch pie plate...
And add the peaches and their accumulated juices.
Then roll the second disk of dough into a 12-inch diameter circle, and place it over the top. Crimp the edge to seal. Cut a few slits in the top so that steam can escape.
I know what you're thinking.
Kevin, your pie has a lattice-top!
That's right. I cut the pastry into strips for a lattice design. But since this recipe is already far too long, and because you are probably bored to tears by now, I thought we should save the lattice-top tutorial for a separate post. So just go with the flow here, and pretend that I'm using an ordinary top crust.
Brush the top with a little cream or beaten egg, and sprinkle with sugar. I used Demerara sugar for sparkle and crunch.
Put the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and let it chill in the fridge while you preheat the oven to 425°F.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Then lower the heat to 375°, and bake until the crust turns golden, and the juices bubble merrily -- 35-40 minutes.
These next two steps are difficult indeed: Cool the pie on a wire rack for 3 hours. Then, as further insurance against runny juices, lightly cover the pie with plastic wrap, and pop it in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
Well. You are probably famished by now. Let's eat this pie!
Put a sensibly-sized portion on a plate...
And top it with a smidgen of whipped cream.
Your idea of "smidgen" might be different from mine.
Folks, this pie is exquisite in every way. Promise me you'll give it a try while peaches are in season!
And by all means leave a comment below. You can't imagine how much I enjoy hearing from you.
Here's the printable:
[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:6]
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