The best time to make Peach Pie is when fresh local peaches start appearing in stores and markets. You don’t have to use a lot of sugar when the fruit is perfectly ripe and sweet. This way you can really taste the peaches.
Thanks to my mom’s suggestion, I’ve added an option that’s a little unique but works great. Instead of flour or cornstarch, you can use Tapioca in the filling. The package should say “instant” or “minit” (that’s how Kraft spells it). The box instructions say you can substitute an equal amount of tapioca for flour or cornstarch. I find that a little problematic because you need twice as much flour as cornstarch to get the same thickness. So I experimented. So you don’t have to. If you like your pie filling a little runny (like me!) 3 tablespoons are about right. If you prefer your pie to be more set, 1/4 cup is what you’ll need.
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The best pies are made with Homemade Pastry. But don’t beat yourself up if you’re not into making your own. I’m told that some store bought pastry is pretty good. I wouldn’t know because I’ve never used it. Wink. But seriously, if you make pastry in the food processor it only takes a few minutes. You need to refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes to let it rest. Even better, it can be made up to one day in advance. Just take the dough out of the fridge for a few minutes before trying to roll it out. Cut off slightly more than half for the bottom crust and return the rest to the fridge while you roll the first part out.
Generously flour a large surface and roll into a circle a few inches larger than your pie plate. Rotate and flip the dough as you’re rolling, adding more flour as needed. Try to keep it uniformly thin by keeping steady pressure on the rolling pin and working from the centre out. But don’t expect it to be a circle, it never really is.
Roll the pastry over your rolling pin and carefully drape it over the pie plate. Lift the edges gently to allow it to drop into the plate. Now put it in the fridge while you make the filling. Don’t trim the edges yet, you do that once the pie is assembled.
Peeling peaches is much easier if you blanch them in boiling water, then drop into an ice water bath. 60-90 seconds in boiling water is about right. If you cut a little X in the bottom of each peach it gives you an easy place to start peeling. This step makes it so easy to peel the peaches you won’t believe it.
Once they’re peeled, slice them into about 10-12 pieces per peach. A basic 8 inch pie takes 6 or 7 cups of fruit. So plan on about 10 – 12 peaches depending on their size. Don’t try to make a pie with those huge hard off season imported peaches. Trust me, there’s nothing like a fresh fruit pie. Drizzle lemon juice over top to prevent them from going brown. There are lots of varieties of peaches and some are more colourful than others. These are Red Haven so they’ve got beautiful colour. And they’re free stone so the fruit comes easily off the pit. But any variety of ripe peach will work.
Combine the cornstarch or tapioca, sugar, salt and a tiny bit of nutmeg. The nutmeg flavour is not very distinct in this pie. The fresh peach flavour really shines through. Feel free to add a bit more nutmeg if you wish. And if you have one of those tiny grinders and whole nutmeg they have a nice authentic flavour. I don’t use cinnamon in peach pie, I think it overpowers the flavour of the peaches. Sprinkle over the peaches and mix well, gently folding into the fruit.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop the peaches out of the liquid and spread evenly in the pie shell. You want lots of filling because it cooks down but you don’t want it to bubble over. Don’t be tempted to use too many peaches, the filling will seep out of the edges and make a huge mess in the oven. If you’ve got a lot of liquid left from the peach mixture, add enough of the remaining liquid to about half fill the pie. Any more and you’ll have too much overspill. You might want to lay a sheet of foil in the very bottom of your oven to catch any drips just in case.
Now roll out the top crust using the same method as the bottom crust. Brush the outer edges of the bottom crust with a bit of water or milk, (or, great trick, the remaining peach liquid) then gently roll the top crust over using the rolling pin. The liquid acts as a glue to help the top stick to the bottom. Press down on the edges then trim with a knife. Crimp, pinch, fork or whatever method you want to finish the edges. Here’s how my mom taught me. Make a V with two fingers, then using your other hand, push into the V with your thumb. Pretty fancy huh?
Brush the top of the pie with a bit of milk, then sprinkle some sugar on top. Just a bit. This does two things. The milk helps the pie top get a nice golden colour and it works like a “glue” to help the sugar stick to the top. You can also use an egg wash which basically accomplishes the same thing except you get a shiny top.
To allow steam to vent from fruit pies use a sharp knife to cut some slits in the top, being careful not to cut through to the bottom. Have fun and make a creative design. Family pie designs are like your signature. A family coat of arms so to speak. My mom makes flowers so I do too. I’m no artist but my pies aren’t for sale and they taste good. That’s what’s important!
Bake on the lower rack in a hot oven, reducing the heat after 15 minutes to 375. Pies need to bake in the lowest part of the oven to ensure the bottom pastry doesn’t get soggy. If you have an oven like mine that has an internal fan that comes on if you reduce the temperature, cover the pie with foil (tricky because the fan blows it around) or take it out of the oven until the fan shuts off, otherwise your pastry might get too brown. Bake for another 40 to 45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling out of the vents. But hopefully not all over your oven.
The pie filling will thicken as it cools. It’s hard to resist cutting into a pie that’s still warm but let your Peach Pie rest at least an hour so it has time to set. The pastry is always best the day it’s baked. See those flaky layers?
If you make your own Peach Pie, consider leaving a comment or rating below. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
- Pastry for double crust pie
- 6 - 7 cups peeled and sliced peaches about 10 - 12 peaches
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- ⅓ cup white sugar plus extra to sprinkle on top
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch or 3-4 Tbsp instant tapioca
- pinch of salt
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp milk
- sprinkle of white sugar
Instructions
- Prepare pastry for double crust pie. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Roll out bottom crust. Refrigerate.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut a small X in the bottom of peaches and blanch in boiling water for 60 - 90 seconds. Remove to an ice water bath. Peel and slice into a large bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice.
- Mix together sugar, cornstarch (or tapioca), salt and nutmeg. Pour over peaches and gently stir well. Using a slotted spoon, arrange peaches evenly into prepared pie shell. Add liquid left behind to about half way full in lower crust. Do not over fill.
- Roll out top crust. Brush bottom crust edges with a bit of milk or water. Or, use leftover peach liquid. Place top crust over pie and press down gently around edges. Trim and seal edge. Brush top with milk and sprinkle sugar over top. Cut vents in top crust to allow steam to escape.
- Bake on the lower rack of the oven for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375 and continue baking for 45 minutes or until top is browned and filling is bubbling. If using convection oven, see note below.
- Allow to cool at least an hour before slicing.
Your crust looks perfect. Peach is still my favorite too.
We learned from the best!
Looks good Marci: have to make it maybe this week ! Tonight though I’m making your baked pasta with sausage and peppers! Yum
Awesome! I’m making Eggplant Parmesan.