Definitive Peach Pie Recipe?

[dellis453]

We recently visited Parallel 33 in San Diego where we had the most gorgeous peach pie. Could anyone recommend a recipe? I was enjoying it so much that I didn't stop to consider the ingredients. It was definitely a pie rather than a cobbler.

It's not something we make here in Scotland usually!

All suggestions very welcome.

[GG Mora]

This probably isn't what you're looking for, but...

Since cooking peaches changes their flavor so much, a raw peach pie is a delicious alternative. Just toss peeled, sliced peaches with a little sugar & let sit for 15 minutes or so. Drain off excess liquid, pile into pre-baked pie or tart shell and cover with whipped cream. It's such a nice way to treat really good peaches.

[phaelon56]

If fresh peaches are available in Scotland, try any of the fruit pie recipes in recipegullet or at Epicurious There's a recipe there for "Piled High Peach Pie" that's very good. Here's a very helpful tip that recently came up on the

"from scratch" pie crust thread

Freeze the filling or even the entire pie before baking! . Doing this helps the fruit to reatain more of its original texture and firmness, which is often lost due to the extended baking times that pies require.

[jgarner53]

I second the idea of a fresh peach pie. You can make a simple cornstarch glaze to go on the pie from mashed fruit, sugar, water, and cornstarch, boiled until it thickens. Add a knob of butter, cool, and glaze the pie with it. (use a pre-baked shell for this pie) Heavenly.

In fact, if I can get some top-notch peaches this week at the farmer's market, I intend to do just that!

[Wendy DeBord]

As I've written many times, making fruit pies isn't easy. Because so much depends upon your fruit quality and it's moisture level no recipe can give you perfect results all the time. Making pies becomes something you learn how to do well from experience.......that includes alot of failures along the way.

The most unpredictable problem is how moist your fruit is, so you add enough thickener so the juices set and don't remain liquid once cooled.

I don't have an exact recipe I use, I'm sorry I know that might be confusing. But I think you should be able to follow me anyway. This isn't as exact as most baking, since your not leavening anything.

I'd peel about 6 cups of peaches for a 9" pie. I put my peaches in a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl I combine aprox. 1 1/2 cups of sugar depending upon how sweet the fruit is. Where I live I never see sweet ripe peaches so 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar is very generous. If your peaches are very sweet go with about 3/4 c. sugar. You mix your starch/thickener into your sugar. Assuming your peaches are juicy I use about 1/2 c. of cornstarch.

I add melted butter and a splash of lemon juice to my bowl of peaches. About 6 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. lemon. I also add a little almond extract or vanilla extract in my peach pies, you could use either one or both, aprox. 1 tbsp. total. Mix this up in your peaches.

Then roll out your pie crusts both the top and bottom. Set the top aside while you finish mixing.

To finish I lastly add my sugar and cornstarch to my peach. This makes them extrude alot of their moisture quickly. I want as much moisture as possible to remain in my peaches, but not wind up with a wet crust because that won't bake properly. So after I have my pie filling all mixed and ready to go into the pie shell, I drain off the excess juice in the bottom of my bowl, put my peach mixture into the shell, adhear the top crust, cut vents and freeze. Once solidly frozen I bake aprox. 1 hour until I see the bottom of my crust is done and thru my vent hole I can see the center has come to a boil and thickened.

I hope this was helpful. Please feel free to ask any further questions.........and welcome!

[amccomb]

Has anyone used tapioca as a thickener? What about flour? ANy other thickers people prefer? What are the pros and cons of each?

[Wendy DeBord]

Yes, I've used other thickeners, still do.

Pros and cons:

Flour: works great it leaves your juice binder whitish instead of clear. Just a matter of preference. I like flour used in my apple and blueberry pies.

Tapioca: works great too. You have to let it soften in before baking or the beads remain hard little beads. Just a matter of preference.

Theres other thickeners too. Most work fine, some cost more then others, some are easier to work with then others, etc... It's really all about personal preference.

Is there anything specific your interested in amccomb?

[andiesenji]

I make a peach pie which is quite different from the usual.

I do the bottom crust and partially blind-bake it, just enough to "set" the dough then allow it to cool completely.

Meanwhile I skin and cut up enough peaches to fill the pie about 3/4 full, this varies depending on the size of the pie plate or tin.

Then I cook the peaches with 1/2 cup sugar (or Splenda) and 1/4 cup lemon juice, stirring often if they are done on the stovetop or occasionally if done in the microwave, until they are the consistance of preserves.

I allow this to cool until it is barely warm, then pour it into the pie shell.

Next I beat together 1 cup of sour cream and 8 ounces of cream cheese, add 1/4 cup sugar (or Splenda) continue beathing until it is smooth. Set aside.

I then skin and halve enough peaches to cover the top of the pie, cut side down and pour the sour cream/cream cheese mixture over the top.

I cover the edge of the pie crust with a pie crust ring to keep it from burning. (These things are so great. pie crust ring )

This then goes into a 325 degree oven for 25 to 35 minutes which should be enough to set the sour cream mixture.

This is very pretty with the domes of the peach halves surrounded by the creamy mixture.

[BettyK]

I've tried several recipes and I think I just found the perfect one (at least for me). Incidentally the recipe is called "Perfect Peach Pie" from RLB's Pie and Pastry Bible. No more runny pies for me.

Basically, you let the peach slices (abt 6 cups) macerate for about 30 mins with 1/2 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Strain the peaches and cook the juices down until syrupy.

Meanwhile, toss peaches with 4 tsp of cornstarch. Then pour the syrup on the peaches and toss gently. Pour in pie shell and add top crust. Make a few slashes on the top crust. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position and place a baking stone or quarry tiles on it. Preheat oven at 425F for 20 mins and bake for 40-50 mins or until filling bubbles.

Like andiesenji, I also use a pie crust ring towards the end if it gets too brown.

[KarenS]

I use tapioca starch to thicken fruit pies. You can find it in most Asian markets.

I have been making lots of peach, nectarine, and berry pies lately. I have been lucky to get Frog Hollow farm and Matsumoto peaches.

[Wendy DeBord]

BettyK, you can also add the cornstarch to the juices dirrectly in your pot to thicken them. That's what it's doing inside the pie, but in the pot you can see that it's enough cornstarch and adjust if needed. You can do a similar method with every fruit; thicken it's juices then add fruit, chill, fill pie shell and bake. Don't put a hot liquid into your raw shell or it won't bake properly.

425 is dangerously close to too hot of an oven. I'd go with 400f myself. As it gets close to finishing baking you'll need to cover the whole top of the crust while the bottom crust finishes. It typically takes another 20 minutes covered still baking before my bottom crust is done and I'm protecting the whole top of the pie not just the edges from getting too brown.

[Liz Johnson]

Since cooking peaches changes their flavor so much, a raw peach pie is a delicious alternative. Just toss peeled, sliced peaches with a little sugar & let sit for 15 minutes or so. Drain off excess liquid, pile into pre-baked pie or tart shell and cover with whipped cream. It's such a nice way to treat really good peaches.

I'm no baker -- believe me. But this idea seemed exactly perfect for the delicious peaches I brought back from my vacation in Tennesee. I baked a puff pastry sheet (frozen) in a rectangular tart pan. I covered it with pastry cream and lined sliced peaches (no sugar at all!) vertically on the edges of the rectangle, and filled the middle with two rows of blackberries. Divine! Thanks GG Mora for the inspiration!

[Swisskaese]

I second the Piled High Peach Pie. It is very good.