Peach Pie

I am new to pie making and will start documenting my trials here. For a nice summer peach pie, I used my standard all-butter pie crust recipe (https://mangiavita.com/articles/pie-crust/ ).

Filling

• 2 pounds ripe peaches
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1.5 tbsp low sugar pectin
• 1.5 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp salted butter
• 1 tbsp sugar for dusting over the top

While both rounds are chilling in the fridge, I prepare my filling. Preheat the oven to 425. Using about 2 pounds of fresh peaches, I washed, halved and removed the pits. I cut away any bruises and cut the pieces into 1 inch cubes. Add 1/2 cup sugar, salt, vanilla and lemon juice to peaches and mix gently. Leave to macerate while you roll out your dough.

Roll out one chilled dough round into about a 12 inch circle (dusting with flour as needed). Gently place into your pie dish, draping the crust down the sides and making sure not to stretch it into the corners. Let the excess hang over the edge and put back in the fridge to chill.

Roll out the second chilled dough round into a 12 x12 square (dusting with flour as needed), to cut strips for lattice. Trim the uneven edges then cut into 8 even strips, I use my bench scraper. If the dough becomes too soft to handle put it back in the fridge to reharden. Put the dough strips on a parchment lined baking sheet and put into the fridge.

For the filling, we are using 2 methods to thicken the juice, but I have to admit that this is the part of the recipe that I need to try some alternate solutions. Here is what I did, but the result was a pretty juicy pie filling. Drain the juices from the macerated peaches into a skillet and add 1.5 tbsp low sugar pectin, along with 1.5 tbsp sugar. Heat until bubbling and slightly reduced, stirring constantly with a heat proof spatula. Add 1 tbsp cornstarch to the fruit and mix gently. Then add the syrup from the skillet and mix gently.

Add the peach filling into the bottom crust and arrange it to be as flat as possible. Then arrange the dough strips on top of the pie in a lattice pattern weaving each strip. Go around the edge with your fingers and pinch the 2 layers of dough together. Then trim the excess dough, so you only have about 1/2 an inch of extra dough around the edge. Roll the excess dough under itself and press it lightly on the edge of the pie plate.

To finish the pie, either use a fork to crimp the edge or you can use your fingers to create a fluted edge. Dip the fork or your fingers in flour as needed. Dip a pastry brush in water and very lightly moisten the top lattice, sprinkle your last tbsp of sugar over the top of the lattice. Take the final tbsp of butter and cut it into small pieces to dot onto the exposed fruit of the pie.

Place the pie on a baking sheet lined with foil (add foil ring around the edge of the pie to prevent burning) and bake at 425 for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes. Filling should be bubbling, and crust should be golden brown. I like to let juicy fruit pies sit in the oven while the oven cools down. Then I move them to the stove top to cool fully. This takes a really long time, 2-3 hours.

Enjoy on it’s own, with some whipped cream, or a little scoop of ice cream.

Note: I definitely toss the dough scraps onto a parchment lined baking sheet and brown them up for a tasty snack. And I know this recipe doesn’t have any of the usual pie spices, I was just going for a clean peach flavor and I really like how it came together.