I make so many pies that my wife Bev and I invented what we call our “sliver rule” – we cut a couple of small pieces for ourselves; give as much away as we can; and then freeze any that’s leftover. And we’ve been pretty religious about it, too.
Then this pie happened.
We didn’t mean to fall off the wagon – and by WE I mean me – but when I weighed myself at the gym the other day I tipped the scale at 184 pounds, and I’m almost 6’5″. (When I turn sideways and stick out my tongue, someone told me recently, I look like a zipper.)
Anyway, that’s down 50 pounds from where I was 3 years ago, so I felt…deserving.
Peaches are, after all, my favorite summer fruit…the season is achingly short…I’ll eat extra kale this week to make up for it and blah, blah – I kept telling myself all these good stories and then I must have blacked out because when I came to I was breaking our sacred sliver rule.
I felt terrible. Briefly.
The best part about all of this is that not only do you get the recipe for this amazing Glazed Peach & Almond Pie this week; you also get a behind-the-scenes look at how it came together in my newest video, below. I think you’ll enjoy the story, so please have a look.
As always, use any favorite double-crust dough recipe, if you indeed have a favorite. Or use the CORNMEAL PIE DOUGH recipe you’ll find here.
Of course, if you click on the Recipes and Videos tab at the top of the page, you’ll find a number of other doughs to choose from.
Enjoy the video. By the way, you will see several mentions of links in the video and you’ll find those links below the video itself.
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Glazed Peach & Almond Pie
Slice up a few pounds of fresh juicy peaches...sugar them well...flavor with almond extract and lemon...and tuck between a golden cornmeal crust. Heavenly. But there's more! Drizzle the top with an almond confectioners' sugar glaze and sliced almonds. It all adds up to the best fresh peach pie you're going to eat all summer. What are you waiting for?
Ingredients
- Cornmeal Pie Dough (Double Crust) or another favorite double crust dough recipe
- FILLING
- 6 or 7 good-size ripe peaches
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure (not imitation) almond extract
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- A little milk or cream, plus a bit of sugar, to top the pie
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds
- Almond Confectioners' Sugar Glaze (see Notes)
Instructions
- If you haven't already, prepare the dough and divide it in half, making one half - for the pie shell - slightly larger than the other. Place on separate sheets of plastic wrap and flatten into 3/4-inch thick disks. Wrap in the plastic and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.
- While the dough chills, make the filling. Peel and slice enough peaches to make 6 to 6 1/2 cups sliced peaches. (I prefer to blanch the peaches because there is less waste. Lower the peaches, several at a time, into a pot of boiling water. Use a slotted spoon so they don't splash.) Let them heat for 20 or 30 seconds, then remove. When the peaches are cool enough to handle simply slip off the skins.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange one oven rack in the lower position and the other in the middle. Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and nutmeg into the peaches. Stir in the almond extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Set aside.
- Roll the larger half of the pie dough into a 13-inch circle and line a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan with it, letting the sides of the dough drape over the edge of the pan. Transfer the filling to the shell and smooth it with a spoon. Roll the other half of dough into an 11-inch circle. Moisten the rim of the shell with a damp finger and drape the top dough over the filling, making sure it is centered. Press along the edges to seal.
- Trim the edge of the dough flush with the side of the pan, then crimp it with a fork to seal. Or trim it with scissors, leaving about 1/2-inch overhang all around, and sculpt the overhang into a fluted edge. Lightly brush the top of the pie with milk or cream and sprinkle with sugar. Using a fork or paring knife, poke several holes in the top pastry so you can check the juices there later. I like to wiggle the utensil a little, to enlarge the holes so the juice has a little more room to flow.
- Place the pie on a baking sheet, preferably one lined with parchment paper, and bake for 30 minutes. Move the pie up to the center rack, rotating it 180 degrees. Reduce the heat to 375°F and continue to bake until you see THICK juices bubbling up through the holes, about 30 to 40 minutes more. The pie isn't done until you see the thick juice. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature.
- When the pie has cooled, drizzle the glaze liberally over the top of the pie; you may not need all of it. Immediatly sprinkle the top of the pie with the sliced almonds. Allow the glaze to harden a bit, then slice and serve. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Notes
To make the Almond Confectioners' Sugar Glaze, combine 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar with 3 tablespoons milk and 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract. Whisk well. The glaze will be stiff at first, but will smooth out. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to thin as needed. You want a medium-thick, drizzable consistency. Makes about 2/3 cup.
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