There are any number of fruit pies that you can make with packaged, frozen fruit and expect good results – berry pies, for instance – but peach is not one of them. Let’s just say frozen peaches are lacking where it matters most, and leave it at that.
Which makes a really good peach pie as elusive as the season itself. It’s a window that opens briefly early to mid-summer, letting in the pure taste and fleeting aroma of peaches at their peak, and then ends abruptly like an all-too-short summer vacation.
It was with this understanding that I decided to make a peach pie this week. Not a fancy schmantzy one but an old school, double crusted peach pie like the ones you remember from your youth. I had fun doing it, and I thought you might like to see my back-to-basics approach to peach pie, so I made a video about it and posted the recipe below.
Let me know what you think…and do send me a photo when you make your next peach pie. I always love getting your pix. And you never know when your photo might end up on our Facebook page.
Calling All Reviews
Thanks again to all of you who ordered autographed copies of my new book, The Harvest Baker. I’m flattered by all the nice comments you’ve sent me, and I’m delighted that it’s getting some attention in the press and on social media.
Among others, there have been kind reviews in The Huffington Post and Cooking By The Book. Eat Your Books is running a special promotion with The Harvest Baker, and Amazon chose it as one of their top ten food and wine books for the month of July.
Speaking of Amazon, if you have purchased a copy of The Harvest Baker, I’d love it if you posted an honest review on Amazon and shared your opinion with other potential readers. Not only do these reviews help in the ranking of books, but they’re a valuable tool for buyers. Personally, when I buy a product from Amazon – or anyone else for that matter – I like to size up the reviews and see what others are saying.
Incidentally, it’s not required that you purchase an item from Amazon to leave a review there. But you do have to have an Amazon account.
Thanks much, and if you’re interested here is the link to The Harvest Baker page on Amazon. To leave a review, scroll down to the reviews and click on the box that says “Write a customer review.” This will open a page where you click on the number of stars you’re giving the item, then a box appears where you can type your review.
Finally, if you’d like an autographed copy of The Harvest Baker, we’re still offering our $3 shipping deal. Send us an email, tell us how many books you’d like, and we’ll get back in touch.
Will I See You in Oregon…or Michigan…or Down South?
I’ll be on the road a bit over the coming months to promote The Harvest Baker and I’d welcome the opportunity to meet you if our paths happen to cross.
The final details are still being worked out, but I know I’ll be in Albany, Oregon at The Mother Earth News Fair on August 5th and 6th; in Charlotte, NC on August 22nd; in Asheville, NC on August 23rd; Atlanta, Georgia on August 24th; Greenville, SC on August 25; and in Columbia, SC on August 26th.
In addition, I’ll be speaking at the Harbor Springs Festival of the Book in Harbor Springs, Michigan the weekend of September 29th through October 1st.
RECIPE PASTRY NOTES
Use any favorite double crust pie dough recipe for this peach pie. The cornmeal dough I used in the video above can be found at the end of this post; you’ll have to mix two batches, since it’s a single crust. Or you may prefer the buttery Slab Pie Dough (which makes enough for a double crust pie.) Another possibility is the Double Crust Shortening Pie Dough.
Ingredients
- Enough pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie (see suggestions above)
- 5 1/2 - 6 cups peeled and sliced peaches (see video for blanching instructions)
- 1/2 cup sugar, plus a little more for the top of the pie
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 - 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- Pinch or two ground nutmeg (optional)
- 2 tablespoons cold butter
- Light cream or milk, for the glaze
Instructions
- If you haven't already, prepare your pie dough and divide it into two pieces, one for the top crust and one for the bottom crust; make the piece for the bottom crust slightly larger. Shape into 3/4-inch thick disks, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 45 to 60 minutes before rolling.
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Put one of your oven racks in the lowest position and the other one in the middle of the oven.
- Prepare the filling: put the peach slices in a large bowl. Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl then add to the peaches. Stir well. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Roll the larger piece of dough into 12-inch circle and line your pie pan with it, letting the edges hang over the sides of the pan. Turn the filling into the crust and even it out with a spoon. Dot the peaches with several small pieces of the cold butter.Using a damp fingertip or pastry brush, moisten the edge of the pie shell.
- Roll the other half of dough into an 11" - 11 1/2" circle. Drape the dough evenly over the filling, pressing down lightly along the edge to seal. Trim the overhanging dough with a paring knife - I use the back of the blade if I'm using a foil pan. If you'd rather, you can trim the dough, leaving an even 3/4" all around, then pinch the dough into an upstanding ridge and flute the edge.
- Line a dark baking sheet with parchment; foil will do if that's all you have. Place the pie on the sheet. Lightly brush the top of the pie with light cream or milk, then sprinkle with several teaspoons sugar. Using your paring knife, make several slits in the top of the pie.
- Place the sheet on the lower rack and bake 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375° and bake another 15 minutes. After these first 30 minutes, move the pie up to the middle rack and bake another 30 minutes, until the top is well browned and you can see thick juices bubbling up through the slits.
- Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool for at least 1 1/2 hours before slicing and serving. Makes 8 servings.
