Always have, always will.
I've been baking pies ever since I can remember. Years ago, my grandmother taught me how to make pie crust. When I say years ago, I mean around 1993. Meaning I was 3. I swear my first words were "ice cold water." My dad's favorite thing is apple pie, and so whenever I went to my grandmothers she would have me make something for my mom (usually a heart shaped chocolate cake) and something for my dad (apple pie, every time). We spent hours upon days putting water in the freezer until it "frosted," mixing up vinegar, an egg, and always, always using crisco. She has a recipe for pie crust that is forever burned in my brain, however it is a tempramental recipe. I'll share it with you someday. But I wanted to sample other pie crusts, to see what they had to offer.
Recently, I had the pie baking craving, and since it's prime peach season, I decided on a peach blueberry pie. Glorious peaches, juicy blueberries, cinnamon, flaky crust. I refuse to acknowledge summer is over.
I used a recipe from Joy the Baker, and I must say it is fantastic! It uses a lot of steps, but don't be discouraged. You CAN make pie!
First, get your peaches and blueberries. Pile them in bowls, and drool over them.
Then start making your crust. Put the dry ingredients in a bowl. I'm sorry I gave up on the photoshop. Don't be like me. But it takes so long and I wanted to give you this recipe while you could still make it!
Then get your butter! Cold, cold butter.
Make your filling. Peaches, blueberries, spices in a bowl. Is there anything better?
Roll out your crust and assemble your pie. Brush the top with egg and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Then, once its baked, you get this! See the filling bubbling out of the side? (Note: This was about 15 minutes before it was really, truly done. I would have taken another picture, but it got devoured. I'm sorry I'm not sorry.)
So, in conclusion, we should all eat more pie!
Peach-Blueberry Pie
Recipe slightly adapted from Joy the Baker
- 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
- 5 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ice cold water
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 6 ripe peaches
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/2 to 2/3 cups granulated sugar (depending on the sweetness of your peaches)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- scant 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
- 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, for topping crust before baking
1. To make the crust, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
2. Add cold, cubed butter and, using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture. Quickly break the butter down into the flour mixture, some butter pieces will be the size of oat flakes, some will be the size of peas.
3. Stir together the ice cold water and vinegar.
4. Create a well in the butter and flour mixture and pour in the water and vinegar mixture. Use a fork to bring to dough together. Try to moisten all of the flour bits.
5. On a lightly floured work surface, dump out the dough mixture. It will be moist and shaggy. Divide the dough in two and gently knead into two disks.
6. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
7. To make the filling, peel and slice peaches. In a medium bowl, combine peach slices and blueberries. 8. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, spices, flour, and cornstarch.
9. Pour the sugar mixture over the fruit, and gently toss together with a wooden spoon. Stir in the lemon juice. Place bowl of fruit in the fridge to rest while you roll the crust out.
9. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a rack in the center of the oven, and place a baking sheet on the lower rack, just below where you’re going to place the pie. This will catch any pie drippings without making a mess of your oven.
10. Remove one of the pie dough disks from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into about a 13-inch round. Roll the dough a few strokes, then use your fingers to move the emerging circle around the floured surface. This ensures that the dough isn’t sticking to the work surface. Try not to get any tears in the rolled out dough, but if you do, they can be patched together with extra dough. When you roll the dough and you can see it start springing back, that means that the butter is warming and the crust shouldn’t be rolled out anymore. Gently lift the 13-inch round from the floured surface and center in the 9-inch baking dish. Place in the fridge while you roll out the top crust.
11. Roll out the top crust just as you did the bottom crust, moving the dough across the floured surface every once in a while, and creating a roughly 13-inch circle.
9. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a rack in the center of the oven, and place a baking sheet on the lower rack, just below where you’re going to place the pie. This will catch any pie drippings without making a mess of your oven.
10. Remove one of the pie dough disks from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into about a 13-inch round. Roll the dough a few strokes, then use your fingers to move the emerging circle around the floured surface. This ensures that the dough isn’t sticking to the work surface. Try not to get any tears in the rolled out dough, but if you do, they can be patched together with extra dough. When you roll the dough and you can see it start springing back, that means that the butter is warming and the crust shouldn’t be rolled out anymore. Gently lift the 13-inch round from the floured surface and center in the 9-inch baking dish. Place in the fridge while you roll out the top crust.
11. Roll out the top crust just as you did the bottom crust, moving the dough across the floured surface every once in a while, and creating a roughly 13-inch circle.
12. Remove the bottom crust and fruit filling from the fridge. Gently pour the fruit filling into the pie dish. Carefully remove the top crust from the work surface and drape over the fruit in the pie dish. With a small knife, trim the crust, leaving about 3/4-inch overhang. Use a fork or your fingers to crimp the edges of the dough.
13. Cut five small slits in the top of the crust so the juices and steam can vent.
14. Brush lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
15. Place pie in the oven and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 375 and bake for 45 to 55 more minutes. Remove from the oven when crust is browned and golden, and the juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2 hours before serving.
15. Place pie in the oven and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 375 and bake for 45 to 55 more minutes. Remove from the oven when crust is browned and golden, and the juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2 hours before serving.
Enjoy!
