Last weekend I made my first pie ever, completely from scratch. It was a peach pie to be exact. We went berry picking and the farm also had peaches from their orchard, so we picked up a whole bag full. We also bought a bunch of other goodies from the farm, like fresh eggs, cheese from a local Vermont company, and yummy peanut butter fudge. I digress...
So back to the pie. Surprise surprise, I used a recipe from my cooking bible,
Joy of Cooking. This pie was amazing! Both the filling and the crust were so tasty. Just writing about it makes my mouth salivate. This recipe is definitely hubby approved.
Peach Pie Filling:
2 1/2 pounds fresh peaches, uncooked
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (I used vanilla extract)
3 to 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Begin by blanching peaches to remove the skin. Place the peach in boiling water for about 30 secs and then transfer to an ice water bath. If the skin doesn't remove with ease, repeat. Once the skin has been removed, cut the peaches into slices or chunks. (Be careful - they are slippery little suckers!). You can also just peel the peaches if this method isn't appealing to you. (haha somewhat pun intended).
In a bowl combine peaches, sugar, flour, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir and let it stand for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.
Crust Recipe:
(for 9-10 inch double crust)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons of ice water
Sift together flour and salt. Cut the butter and shortening into small chunks and add to the flour. Mix together until the dough is pea-sized. I used my stand mixer on a low setting to mix, but the traditional method is to use a pastry blender, which I don't own. Next sprinkle the ice water over the dough and mix until it just comes together.
Divide the dough in half, press each into a disk, and wrap is plastic wrap. Put the dough in the fridge for at least a half hour. Sprinkle with flour and roll out first half of dough, rolling from the center each time. I used two pieces of parchment paper and sandwiched the dough to prevent it from sticking to the counter or rolling pin.
Invert the pie plate and hover over the dough to measure. Loosely roll the dough on the rolling pin, transfer to the pie plate, and gently roll out. Ease the dough down into the pie plate, then firmly press the dough against the plate, making sure there is no space between the sides of the plate and the dough. Spoon peach filling into the pie. Sprinkle the top with the pieces of butter from the filling recipe.
Roll out the second piece of dough and cover the filling. Trim the dough around the edges, if needed. Then seal the edge as you see fit. It is important to seal the two layers tightly, to prevent the filling from bubbling out. I decided on a fluted rim because it looks pretty. :)
Next using a sharp knife cut three to four slits in the top of the crust to vent. I also cut the leftover dough into hearts to decorate the pie. Brush the top of the pie with milk, cream, or egg wash and then sprinkle with sugar.
Place the rack in the lower third of your oven and Bake at 425⁰F for 30 mins or until the pie browns. Then loosely cover with aluminum foil, lower the temperature to 375⁰F, and bake for another 30 mins or so. Cool completely on a rack.
Et Voilà!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!
Happy Baking,
