I love to bake almost anything, but I think if I had to choose, then I would say that pies are my favorite thing to bake. Blueberry, apple, strawberry rhubarb - whatever fruit is in season, that's the kind of pie I'll bake.
So imagine my delight when on a whim I stopped at a little roadside produce stand not far from our house here in Maine and discovered fresh local peaches! Sun-ripened in the nearby orchard. (For the record, I didn't even realize that you could grow peaches in Maine!)
They were decidedly smaller than ordinary peaches, but after purchasing almost 3 pounds in a brown shopping bag for the unbelievable price of just $2/pound, and sinking my teeth into one of the soft, fuzzy balls on the way home, I realized that I needed to make a peach pie to do them justice.
I like to make a cream cheese crust for this pie, but you can just as well use a classic Pate Brisee recipe which is a simple pie crust that whips up in no time in your food processor.
A dash of salt over the peaches to bring out even more of their natural sweetness, and a splash of almond extract.... and then some flour and cornstarch to be sure my pie didn't end up watery... and my pie went into the oven.
After baking to a golden brown on top, then cooling on a wire rack all afternoon, my peach pie was the perfect end to our dinner served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside a hefty slice.
The crust on this pie is rich and flaky. The filling just sweet enough, and the almond adding nice depth of flavor. My favorite way to bake with fresh, local peaches.
Rustic Fresh Peach Pie
For the Crust
Add the flour, salt and sugar to the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter, cream cheese, and Crisco and pulse for several seconds until you have coarse crumbs.
With the motor running, slowly pour in the ice water (you might not need it all), just until the dough starts to hold together without being wet or sticky, about 30 seconds.
Divide the dough in half, flatten into discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
For the Filling
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with the rack in the middle. In a large bowl, stir together the peaches, 1/2 cup of sugar, flour, cornstarch, cardamom, almond extract and salt.
To Assemble the Pie
Roll out the bottom crust and place in a 9" pie plate or tart pan. Add the filling and top with the tablespoon of butter. Roll out the top crust to cover the filling, crimping and trimming the edges. Cut slits in the top crust to vent the steam.
Bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the pie from the oven, brush with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake for an additional 20 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown.
Cover the top of the pie with foil and bake for a final 15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is thick and bubbling.
Cool on a wire rack for several hours, then slice and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
