Late Summer Peach Pie

Another summer is winding down, which means those of us lucky enough to live close to orchards have access to delicious peaches.

Or, in my case, my dad bought a unicorn’s weight in peaches, and passed off a mess of them on me. I went to my fellow Persephoneers, seeking an idea that didn’t involve 1. canning, or 2. making a pie. Moretta, who is wise, reminded me of ready-made pie crusts.

I generally avoid pie, because I think pie crust is the devil. I’ve pulled off one or two of them, but I do not enjoy any part of making pie crust, from getting the moisture to flour ratio correct for whatever the humidity happens to be doing today, to rolling it out. I am happily #teambuythatreadymade. If you’ve got the patience, skill, and desire to make your own crust, more power to you. There’s not a bit of shame in leaving that shit to Pillsbury. Heading Moretta’s advice, I made a big, delicious, juicy peach pie. Here’s how I did it:

Peach Peeling Made Simple

You’re going to need 10-12 ripe peaches for this. If you’ve wrangled peaches before, you know peeling them straight from the produce drawer is akin to putting socks on an octopus. The trick to getting the skin off in a hurry, without swearing, is to do a little science on your peaches before you peel them.

1. Boil a large pot’s worth of water on the stove.
2. Cut an X in the bottom of each peach.
3. Drop peaches in the boiling water 2-3 at a time (carefully!) for 30 seconds per batch.
4. Then, using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer peaches to an ice water bath for another 30 seconds.
5. Working from the cut end, slide the skin off in just a few pieces.

And now for the pie…

Ingredients

• 10-12 peeled, pitted peaches cut into thin slices
• 2 ready made pie crusts
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 tablespoon bourbon or other whiskey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A few shakes of cinnamon

Instructions

• Toss peaches, sugars, bourbon, vanilla, cinnamon and corn starch together in a large bowl until corn starch is dissolved and peaches are fairly well-coated in goodness.
• Arrange bottom crust in 10″ pie pan, pressing into corners and trimming excess. Pop into a 350° oven for 2-3 minutes to lightly set bottom crust.
• Spoon peach mixture into bottom crust, mounding in the middle.
• Lay top crust over the pie and gently press the edges into the bottom crust around the rim of the pan. Trim excess.
• Cut a slit, or series of slits, into the top of the pie and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
• Bake at 350° for 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

Let cool for at least an hour before you cut it, so the center has time to set up.