This weekend G and I went to a Peach Festival at a nearby farm. I had to pick up a box of these babies to make a pie. Recipe below!
Peaches
Crust:
2.5 Cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter (cut into tiny cubes)
½ – ⅔ cup ice water (I put 2 ice cubes in ½ cup cold water)
Filling:
5 cups thinly sliced peaches*
1 cup halved, pitted cherries
1 cup sugar
2 table spoons vanilla extract
4 teaspoons corn starch
*You can peel the peaches if you hate the skin- but I like to leave them on (just de-fuzzed). Sliced super thin, you won’t even notice the peel and it ads a pop of color.
Why buy pre-made crust when it is super easy to make? All you need is flour, salt, butter and water, people!
Crust ingredients
1) In a large bowl stir together flour and salt. Use a pastry blender (butter knives and hard spatulas also work) to cut in the butter into the flour until pieces are pea size. 2) Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of ice water into the flour mixture and toss with a fork. Push the moistened flour to the side of the bowl. Repeat the action, working your way around the bowl edge- pulling from the middle. Add water just until flour mixture is consistently moistened and will form a ball. Do not over-saturate the dough. 3) Knead the mixture a few times and form the dough into a ball, and then divide in half. 4) On a lightly floured flat surface use your hands to slightly flatten one of the pastry balls. 5) Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 12 inch in diameter circle. Start in the middle of the dough and roll to the edges.
Crust!
6) Lightly flour the top of the pastry circle and then roll into onto itself with the rolling pin. Unroll the pastry into a 9inch pie plate. Be gentle, and do not force the dough into the pie pan or it will rip. 7) Trim the dough so it is ½ inch over the edge of the pie plate. Roll the second ball of dough into a 12 inch diameter circle and reserve for later use.
Peaches sliced thin
8 Preheat the oven to 375F. In a large bowl combine the sugar and corn starch, sift thoroughly. 9) Add 5 cups of thinly sliced peaches and 1 cup of cherries to the bowl. Gently toss the fruit and dry mixture to combine. 10) Transfer the fruit filling into the prepared pie pan.
Peaches and Cherries
11) Carefully roll up the second pastry circle onto the rolling pin and then unroll over the pie. Trim the top pie crust to 1 inch over the edge of the pie pan. 12) Carefully, fold the edge of the top crust over the edge of the bottom, tucking it into the pie pan as you go.
Pie pre-vent
13) Use a paring knife to create steam vents in the top crust. Crimp the edge of your pie how you want. I use a teaspoon to create a simple scallop design.
14) Create crust shield by folding a 12 inch square of foil into quarters. Cut 3 inches out from the folded corners and unfold. Voila la, you have a crust shield.
Simple decorations
15) Bake the pie for 30 minutes, then remove foil shield. 16) Bake for 35-40 minutes more until filling is bubbly.
All done!
17) Cool on wire rack. I highly suggest serving this with Vanilla Bean ice cream
With the extra sliced peaches and crust I managed to make Country Peach Tart for G to take to lunch. His coworkers were very jealous.
Country Peach Tart
And another photo of the gorgeous peaches:
Love these bowls that G picked up
Thanks! C
