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Thursday, August 21, 2008

The Best Pie in the 'Verse

Every fall I've started the tradition of bringing back freshly picked, ripe peaches from BC. There are orchards in Creston BC, right near Shambhala and the fruit there is over the moon. The best peaches I've ever had.
Last year I brought back a flat of peaches and they all went ripe at the same time. "What to do?" I thought - as you can only eat so many peaches in a day without some unfortunate side effects...trust me.
"Make a peach pie" said the cat...so I asked my husband J's Aunt (who is the queen of all desserts) for her peach pie recipe.
"You'll love it -it is the divinity of all that is fruity and pieyey in this world" she said (OK, so I'm paraphrasing a bit here). I stole the crust recipe from J's Mom. It's a good crust, flaky and light, easy to make and it freezes well. Worth the bother.
And upon completion, I found it to be my all time favourite pie...and I do likes me my pie, so believe me when I say this: this pie? Eeez good.
This year, as a test to see if it really was the best pie in the world I did the same, more peaches from BC and more pies...and it was still glorious.
Oh yes. I just had a piece. The last one. Yum.

So I present...how to make Peach Pie. So you can yum it too...

First, ze crust:
(This recipe that makes enough for 4 pies(top and bottom)...but the dough freezes well..I usually make half and do 2 pies.) You can half it and it still works fine.

5 c flour
1/2 t salt
1 Lb lard
1 t sugar
1 egg whisked (This recipe that makes 4 crusts...you only need two...so improvise...or make 4...whatevah)
1 t vinegar
milk to 1c

Crumble first 4 ingredients together with knife or pastry cutter until lard is in tiny pieces, no larger than a pea. In a 8 oz cup, add the egg, beat it and mix in vinegar. Add milk up to 1 cup and stir well. Mix this in with the flour mixture and mix with hands to get a firm dough. Roll our on floured surface.
I lattice the top on peach pies, as it looks cool, and bakes better for me (less boilover) and better overall baking. Plus I'm shit at rolling out pie crust, so it's less of a hassle too. It's a bit of work to make a pie, so I usually make two and freeze one, after baking it. Then there's more pie later. Trust me. It's a good thing.

Focus.

OK...ze Pie Filling:
(for a deep dish pie - this is PER pie...for 2 regular pies multiply everything by 1.5)
6 c sliced, peeled ripe peaches
3 T cornstarch
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c white sugar
2 T lemon juice
Sprinkling of nutmeg
A few T butter

Mix together all but butter and place in crust. Dot the top of the peaches and juice with ~9 butter pieces, about 1/2cm square. Lattice the crust top. Bake for ~ 40 minutes at 375 degrees.
Cool. Eat. Make groany noises.

So that is that. Enjoy the peaches while they are in season my lovelies. Soon the snow will take them away for another year and we'll have nothing but twigs and berries.
If anyone has any pie ideas send 'em my way. I love mad kitchen science! I will accept any challenge...but no raisins.
That is all.

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