This Summer Peach Pie is quite simple to make but its flavor is perfection. For some reason, peaches taste even better when cooked. Use the freshest peaches you can find. I usually wait till I can get them from my own tree or at a local fruit stand. The ones in the grocery store sometimes lack flavor.
I love the lattice top on this pie – it shows off the filling beautifully. If you’re in a hurry, you can always use a regularly-rolled out pastry top, just make sure to vent it to let the air bubbles escape.
Summer Peach Pie
8
servings30
minutes50
minutesIngredients
1 recipe Buttery, Flaky Pie Crust
6 cups peeled, pitted and sliced peaches
juice of 1 small lemon
2 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot
2/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
pinch of nutmeg
2 Tbsp butter, cut into 8 bits
Directions
- Put the peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Toss to coat well.
- In a separate, small bowl, combine the cornstarch or arrowroot, sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Add to the peaches and stir to combine; set aside.
- Roll half the dough to fit into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim edges to overhang by 1/2 inch all around. Save the scraps for the lattice top.
- Pile the fruit mixture into the pastry-lined pan and top with bits of butter.
- To make the lattice top: Roll out the other half of the dough into a 13-15 inch round. Using a fluted pastry wheel or pizza cutter, cut strips of pastry into 1 inch widths (use the saved scraps if needed.)
- Lay 5-7 parallel strips of pastry across the pie, from edge to edge, leaving 1/2 inch of space between each one. Fold every other strip halfway back, then, starting in the center, lay 1 strip crosswise just past the folded edge. Replace the folded strips. Fold back the strips you left flat and place a second strip crosswise just beyond the folded edge. Replace the folded strips. Repeat the process until 1/2 of the pie is done. Finish the other 1/2 of the pie using the same weaving technique, starting again in the center.
- Trim the lattice strips to overhang the pie pan by 3/4 inch, then tuck them under the bottom crust. Crimp with a fork or flute the edge.
- Whisk together the egg yolk and milk, then lightly brush over the top of the pie. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Place the pie in the freezer to firm up the crust while you preheat the oven.
- Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 425° F. Place the pie on the baking sheet in the middle of the oven and bake for 25 minutes, then lower the oven to 350° F and continue baking until the juices are bubbling in the center of the pie, about 25 minutes more. Cover pie with foil if it starts to get too brown.
- Let cool on a rack. Serve at room temperature or warm with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Try the Ateco fluted pastry wheel from Sur la Table: Fluted pastry wheel with wood handle
- This pie tends to bubble over so don’t skip the baking sheet. The hot sheet also helps the bottom of the pie to cook properly. No soggy bottoms here.
- Always keep your unused dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. It makes for a more tender, flaky dough.
- Freezing the pie for 15-20 minutes helps the pie keep its shape.
- Experiment with varying widths of pastry strips to create interesting patterns.