Peach Perfect

We recently went for a scenic drive along the Shenandoah where you can see the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains glow their ethereal blue light in the skyline above the tree-lined road. We happened upon a strange roadside fruit stand and animal park and decided to stop . There is an old Carny Gypsy girl beneath my suburban bohemian exterior and the quirkiness appealed to me. Part of me was afraid of what we would find there.

What a pleasant surprise ! Not only did my toddler son LOVE the animal park , it was clean and the animals were well cared for in their funky homes. And we ended up purchasing some pumpkins and a nice basket of the last summer peaches.
What better excuse to make a peach pie ?

Here's my favorite recipe - basic and delish...
for a super-easy quick start use a Pillsbury ready-made pie crust.
Just roll & fill. Not bad in a pinch.
If you are more ambitious the pastry recipe provided below is worth the effort.

Peach Pie

This dessert also tastes good with a crunchy sugary crust: Forgo the egg wash, brush the pastry with cold water, and sprinkle with sugar. Serve with vanilla ice cream if feeling really decadent.

Ingredients

Makes one 9-inch pie

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 4 pounds (about 8 large) peaches
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough to a 1/4-inch-thick circle, about 13 inches in diameter. Drape dough over a 9-inch pie pan, and transfer to refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes.
2. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together egg and milk to make a glaze; set aside. Combine peaches, sugar, and flour, and turn onto the chilled bottom crust. Dot with butter. Roll out the remaining piecrust dough to the same size and thickness. Add an extra tablespoon of flour if the peaches are very juicy. Brush the rim of the crust with the egg glaze. Place the other piecrust on top, trim to 1/2 inch over edge of pan, and crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers. Transfer pie to the refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes. Brush with glaze, and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 to 40 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack.

* for a special piecrust made from scratch...

Pate Brisee (Pie Dough)

Pate brisee is the French version of classic pie or tart pastry. Pressing the dough into a disc rather than shaping it into a ball allows it to chill faster. This will also make the dough easier to roll out, and if you freeze it, it will thaw more quickly.

Ingredients

Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
2. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

adapted from Martha Stewart Living