Perfect Peach Pie is a classic Southern pie made with simple ingredients, sliced fresh juicy peaches, brown sugar, cornstarch, and a little vanilla, piled high in a homemade buttery, flaky crust. Indeed, a summer treat during peach season!
For my husband and me, nothing says summer more than fresh peaches. We look forward to them every year. We can't get enough of them.
We start craving them around the first of June, when the peach season in Texas begins. Although the first of the peaches are ready in the middle of June.
This summer, we see peaches everywhere. I bought our last ones from a roadside produce stand.
They had our favorite variety.
I like to buy them from our favorite orchard, but here lately, the best tasting peaches have been in our local grocery store.
I don't know if they are grown here in Texas or not, but they are excellent. I have been keeping a generous supply handy for eating and baking.
Did I say we love peaches?
Our favorite variety of peaches is freestone Alberta's, and they are ready at the end of July.
You may be asking? What are freestone peaches?
They are a typical variety of peach that the flesh will easily release from the pit when you cut into them. It doesn't change the taste of the peach at all.
It just makes it easier to eat and lends a prettier sliced peach.
I like to buy peaches that are on the firm side so they last longer.
The only problem is as they are ripening, we tend to eat them up before I realize there are not enough to make ice cream, pie, or cobbler.
With too ripe peaches, they tend to make the pie mushy, and on the running side, so I like to use the perfectly ripened peach. These are the ones that are firm and juicy. This also helps keep the pie crust from becoming too soggy when baked.
Here are a few little secrets to baking the perfect peach pie.
One is to help with having too much juice released from the peaches when peeling them. I peel and slice my peaches in a colander inside a pie dish to capture the excess juices.
When I am finished slicing the peaches for the pie, I sprinkle them with pectin powder.
I toss them together, ensuring they are coated well with the pectin, and let them sit in the colander while making the pie crust. You may also use lemon juice if you prefer.
Two is to prevent a soggy crust while the pie is baking. I brush the bottom pie crust with slightly beaten egg whites.
This will ensure the crust bakes flaky by putting a barrier between the peach filling and the pie crust. Don't worry. It doesn't change the texture or flavor.
Three is a secret to ensure a flaky bottom crust. Place the whole prepared peach pie in the freezer for 15 minutes.
When arranging the lattice top crust or rolling out the single top crust, the butter becomes too warm by the time the pie is finished being made.
When placed in a hot oven, the butter in the pie dough begins to melt too fast in the oven. Therefore, it can never catch up to the right texture.
The result is a soggy crust and difficulty removing from the pie dish.
I so enjoy making this pie. I love seeing the big happy face on my husband every time I make it. He enjoys it with a big scoop of ice cream with each piece he eats.
I'm headed to the kitchen to make some more recipes with all the peaches we have sitting in the box crate.
Yield: 8-10 Servings
Perfect Peach Pie
Perfect Peach Pie a Southern classic pie made with simple ingredients, sliced fresh juicy peaches, brown sugar, cornstarch, a little vanilla, and piled high in a homemade buttery, flaky crust. Truly, a summer treat during peach season!
prep time: 45 MINScook time: 1 hour and 20 MINStotal time: 1 hours and 65 mins
INGREDIENTS:
Pie Crust
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Crisco shortening, cold cut into thirds
- 1/2 cup salted butter, cold cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1 whole egg, separated
Peach Pie Filling
- 5 cups fresh peaches, sliced (See Notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon fruit pectin or 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 1/4 cup coarse sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Pie Crust
- Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix.
- Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas.
- With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball.
- Cut the dough in half. Roll one piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Roll dough into an 11" circle. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Slightly beat egg white from separated egg (reserve egg yolk). Brush bottom of the pie dough with egg white covering all the inside pie dough. Reserve the remaining egg white.
- Roll the second piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Roll dough into a 9" circle. Cut 9 1" strips.
Assemble Peach Pie
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large bowl, place sliced peach, brown sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla bean paste. Fold ingredients all together being sure not to mash the peaches.
- Pour peach mixture into the prepared pie dish with pie dough. Arrange the strips of cut pie dough in a lattice style across the top of the peaches. Crimp the edges well. Add the separated egg yolk to the remaining egg white. Beat and brush mixture on top of the lattice dough. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Place prepared pie in the freezer for 15-30 minutes. Remove from the freezer and place prepared pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Turn oven down to 375 degrees F. Check the baking of the pie for brownness every 20 minutes. If the pie begins to get too brown cover the pie with a foil tent or shield. Bake for a least an hour. The crust will be golden, and filling will be bubbly.
- Cook's Note: Peel and slice peaches in a colander that sits inside of a pie dish to capture the excess juices.
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