With fresh peaches in abundance at local markets, I'm taking every opportunity to enjoy this golden fruit. This week I'm making an old favorite, peaches and cream pie.
Pie Plates: Not all pie plates are created equal. Whenever I have to pre-bake a crust, I avoid ceramic. It is so slippery they often want to slide down while baking, even with pie weights inside. See my guide here on pie plate selection. As you can see here, today I chose this glass version as it performs well on a hot baking sheet and is deep enough for this pie.
Ingredients
It's a dessert I've never seen or had anywhere else. I'm not sure where I found the recipe, but I've had it in my database for years. I make it annually and it never fails to impress. Peaches go perfectly with cream, and in this recipe you include both in the pie. You'll note the recipe has no eggs in the cream. If you add eggs you end up with custard and this is not the taste you are expecting when you hear 'peaches and cream'. Of course, you can cut fresh peaches into a bowl and top with some sweetened heavy cream, and that too will be delightful. But if you want a pie that replicates this seasonal delicacy, try this recipe. You'll find yourself making it every year.
Pie Plates: Not all pie plates are created equal. Whenever I have to pre-bake a crust, I avoid ceramic. It is so slippery they often want to slide down while baking, even with pie weights inside. See my guide here on pie plate selection. As you can see here, today I chose this glass version as it performs well on a hot baking sheet and is deep enough for this pie.
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| Delicious! |
Ingredients
6-8 peaches -- about 2 pounds, for a deep dish pie pan
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon -- juiced
1/2 lemon -- juiced
1/4 cup cornstarch (optional for juicy peaches)
1/4 cup sugar (optional for sour peaches)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
or 5 tablespoons Instant ClearJel
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
or 5 tablespoons Instant ClearJel
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter -- sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 425F degrees with a baking sheet inside on lowest rack with a baking sheet inside.
Make a pie crust using your usual recipe. Place the crust in a pie plate (glass or metal preferred), and prick with a fork on bottom and sides. Line with parchment paper or foil and add pie weights. If doing two pies do this one at a time using all of the weights in a single pie to prevent the crust from slipping down the sides of the pie plate. A glass or metal pie plate work best for this, although I have success with the ceramic pie pan shown in the photos. Bake the crust for 5 minutes on the pre-heated baking sheet. Remove from oven and remove paper and weights. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.
Lightly beat the egg with the milk or water. Paint the crust with the milk and egg mixture and return to the oven for 5 more minutes. Remove form oven and let cool. These steps help to crisp and seal the crust. While the original recipe called for using an unbaked crust, I found no way to stop it from becoming soggy. This technique solves that problem.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Immerse peaches for 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on ripeness of the peaches (the more ripe, the shorter the time); remove with a slotted spoon. Let cool briefly in an ice-water bath, then slip off the peach skins with your hands. If they will not come off easily, use a potato peeler or knife to remove them. Pit and slice the peaches into a large mixing bowl.
Sprinkle peaches with a dash of salt and a juice from one-half lemon. Let stand in a bowl for 10 minutes to determine how juicy the peaches are. If a large quantity of juice is produced, drain and toss the peaches with cornstarch. If the peaches are not sweet, add 1/4 cup sugar.
Mix together sugar, flour, cornstarch/Instant ClearJel, and salt. When well mixed, stir in the heavy cream. Place the peaches in the pre-baked pie shell (drain again if a large amount of juice has formed) and pour the cream mixture over peaches. Dot with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Place the pie on the hot cookie sheet and bake at 425F for 15 minutes on the lower rack of the oven, then reduce oven temperature to 300F degrees and bake 60 minutes longer, until filling begins to set.
Remove from oven and cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. This pie is best served the day it is made as the cream and peach juice will make the crust wet if stored for a longer time.
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter -- sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 425F degrees with a baking sheet inside on lowest rack with a baking sheet inside.
Make a pie crust using your usual recipe. Place the crust in a pie plate (glass or metal preferred), and prick with a fork on bottom and sides. Line with parchment paper or foil and add pie weights. If doing two pies do this one at a time using all of the weights in a single pie to prevent the crust from slipping down the sides of the pie plate. A glass or metal pie plate work best for this, although I have success with the ceramic pie pan shown in the photos. Bake the crust for 5 minutes on the pre-heated baking sheet. Remove from oven and remove paper and weights. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.
Lightly beat the egg with the milk or water. Paint the crust with the milk and egg mixture and return to the oven for 5 more minutes. Remove form oven and let cool. These steps help to crisp and seal the crust. While the original recipe called for using an unbaked crust, I found no way to stop it from becoming soggy. This technique solves that problem.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Immerse peaches for 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on ripeness of the peaches (the more ripe, the shorter the time); remove with a slotted spoon. Let cool briefly in an ice-water bath, then slip off the peach skins with your hands. If they will not come off easily, use a potato peeler or knife to remove them. Pit and slice the peaches into a large mixing bowl.
Sprinkle peaches with a dash of salt and a juice from one-half lemon. Let stand in a bowl for 10 minutes to determine how juicy the peaches are. If a large quantity of juice is produced, drain and toss the peaches with cornstarch. If the peaches are not sweet, add 1/4 cup sugar.
Mix together sugar, flour, cornstarch/Instant ClearJel, and salt. When well mixed, stir in the heavy cream. Place the peaches in the pre-baked pie shell (drain again if a large amount of juice has formed) and pour the cream mixture over peaches. Dot with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Place the pie on the hot cookie sheet and bake at 425F for 15 minutes on the lower rack of the oven, then reduce oven temperature to 300F degrees and bake 60 minutes longer, until filling begins to set.
Remove from oven and cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. This pie is best served the day it is made as the cream and peach juice will make the crust wet if stored for a longer time.
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