The app Timehop reminded me last week that it had been six years since I made a peach pie.
In July 2014 my late husband hadn’t been feeling well all year. It started with a trip to the ER on New Years Eve. My husband hadn’t been working and we were waiting to see if his disability would be approved, which turned out to be a nine month process.
I had to get a second job to make ends meet, which meant even more time away from my husband, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Here is my first post in 2014 about his trip to the ER on New Years Day.
He was in and out of the hospital on and off that through May of 2014. By June though things weren’t getting much better, and we decided to ditch our local doctors and head to Mayo Clinic for more answers. If anyone in your family is ever sick, Mayo is the place to go.
We got placed on a list to come for a string of appointments, which would begin on a Monday and we had to stay in Rochester until they completed their tests. It was then my husband declared his favorite pie peach – and I made one, but we had to leave before he could eat it and I gave it away.
How to Make a Peach Pie
This weekend I decided to make my second peach pie. Even better was that peaches were on sale for .49 cents a pound. You need to blanch the peaches for a minute in boiling water, and the skin peels off really easily.
Next, for the pie crust, simply put the flour to the butter in a food processor and pulse, just until crumbly. Add in the cold water and pulse again – do not keep your food processor going, otherwise you’ll have a pie crust paste. Not that I’ve ever done that before, I just read that on the internet – ha!
Divide the dough into two portions, wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour. With so much butter, you shouldn’t need too much flour to roll out. While everyone will tell you to work with the dough quickly while still cold, I put the oven ready pie back in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. Cold butter + hot even = flaky pie!
For the top I found an Instagramer called LokoKitchen – she makes the most amazing pies. She made one called a “spoke” pie and I tried to copy her as best I could. Simply roll out the top dough and using a sharp knife, cut the pie into thin strips. She used a ruler – um, mine is a bit more . . . rustic?
She put a small ramekin in the middle and wrapped the strips around that. Trim the edges, remove the ramekin and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 425.
Right before going into the oven, simply brush with an egg wash, and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, reduce heat and bake at 375 for 30 minutes, putting foil over the top if it’s browning too fast.
After it comes out of the oven and cools for two hours, toss some blueberries in a drop of grape seed oil and roll in the coarse sugar and put in the middle of the pie.
Peach Pie
This peach pie is by no means WW friendly, but at 420 calories a slice, you can fit it into your weekly budget. It screams summer.
Ingredients
- For the pie filling: (this part of the recipe is from Natasha's Kitchen)
- 3 1/2 cups peaches, sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- (I left out the vanilla and nutmeg in her recipe - personal preference)
- For the dough: (enough for the top and bottom, with about 3 ounces dough leftover)
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 10 tablespoons cold water
- Egg wash: one egg yolk
- Course sugar
Instructions
Blanch the peaches in boiling water for 1 minute. The skins will come off really easily.
In a large bowl, mix all the filling ingredients together and chill until ready to use.
In a food processor, put the flour through butter into the food processor and pulse until the butter is about the size of peas. Add the cold water and PULSE just until the dough is crumbly - if you process to much the dough will become a paste.
Divide the dough into two sections. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.
Roll the dough out, put the rolled out dough in the pie pan. Fill with peach filling.
Watch a shit ton of youtube videos and decide which pattern you want to put on your pie.
Once combined, refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking. Before going in the oven, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake for 30 minutes. Once cooled, toss 1/3 cup blueberries in a drop of grape seed oil and toss in some more coarse sugar and fill the hole in the middle of the pie.
You need to cool the pie for at least two hours to let the filling set. It will be hard, but worth the wait!
Notes
I put the recipe into the recipe builder, and each slice is 14 points on all plans, or 324 calories. Worth every one!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 420Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 431mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 3gSugar: 23gProtein: 7g
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I had thoughts of recreating the first peach pie that I made, but changed my mind. I am not the same person I was six years ago. I’ve grown, my cooking has gotten better and my photography skills are better. It seemed fitting that I made a pie that suits me today, not in the past.
Of course I wish my husband was here to share a slice of pie with. Was I sad here and there throughout the day? Of course. But I found solace and comfort in the kitchen without eating like an asshole or drinking several glasses of wine to push those feelings down.
I don’t live in the past anymore. I have to let it go and embrace today. Here. Now. Yesterday was a great day.
Be Kind. Be Fearless. Have Hope.
Until next time, Love, Biz
The pie looks amazing. I have such trouble with crusts, rolling them out. I never make pies because of it. I recently made a “swedish apple pie” using peaches,( halved the recipe) and it was tasty, but not a “pie”.
I loved the ending of this post. Be kind. Be fearless. Have hope. It was exactly what I needed to read.
Thank you for sharing such a personal story. I would have done the exact same thing! Make the best damn peach pie with all of the love poured into it! Both of your pies are beautiful!
Thank you Susan!
That pie looks mouth wateringly delicious! You are so strong and beautiful, Biz. Those eyes!
That pie looks scrumptious! And I love the way you did the top crust. I’ve never seen that technique before. Easier than a lattice and prettier, too! Thanks for sharing!
Bee.u.ti.ful pie there Biz and you look so content…..great pic!!!
But how many slices?
I made it 8 slices like a regular pie 😀