Perfect Peach Pie Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 double pie crust
• 3 pounds peaches 1.4kg (8-9 peaches)
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar (133g)
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch (42g)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
• 1 egg
• Coarse sugar for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Let the disks of pie dough warm up on the counter.
2. Meanwhile, score the bottom of each peach and peel the skin off. Halve the peaches, remove the pits, and cut them into ½-inch thick slices.
3. in a large bowl, mix gently to combine the peaches, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, and cinnamon. Set aside while you roll the pie crust.
4. For the bottom crust, roll out 1 disk of pie dough into a 13-inch circle, about ⅛-inch thick. Press the dough into a 9-inch deep dish pie plate, leaving the excess to hang over the ends of the pie plate.
5. For the top crust, roll the other disk out into an 11-inch circle. Cut the dough into 1-inch-wide strips. (You should need 8 – 10 strips)
6. Place the peach mixture inside the bottom pie crust and smooth it out to create a level surface for the lattice. Dot the filling with the cubes of butter.
7. Arrange the pie crust strips in a lattice pattern over the fruit filling. Trim both the ends of the lattice strips and the excess bottom crust to have a 1-inch overhang from the edge of the pie dish. Fold the excess under itself and gently press down to create a flat edge. Crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork, if desired.
8. In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the lattice topping and crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of coarse sugar.
9. Cover the edge of your pie loosely in aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling all over (even in the center!) If the pie starts to brown too quickly or reaches golden brown midway through baking, tent the whole pie with foil.
10. Place the pie on a cooling rack and cool for 4 to 5 hours before slicing.

NOTES

• Peeling the peaches is optional. The skin tends to soften significantly in the filling and can add a lovely pink hue. However, it will add a different texture to the peach filling, so I prefer to peel the peaches.
• Add a pinch of salt to the recipe. Though optional, this trick helps to balance the sweetness and/or tartness of the filling, depending on how ripe your peaches are. You can also dot the top with salted butter instead of unsalted.
• Use other spices. Nutmeg, cardamon, and/or ginger are other delicious spices that can be added to the filling or crust to complement the sweet peaches.
• Add all of the juices from the bowl to the pie. It might seem like a lot of liquid, but the cornstarch has dissolved in these juices, helping to thicken the pie! Without it, your pie might actually be too runny.
• If you don’t want to arrange a lattice top: Simply place the top crust, uncut, over the filling, trim and crimp the edges, and cut 5 to 6 vents in the center of the crust so steam can escape. Alternatively, use a cookie-cutter to cut shapes out of the dough and arrange the shapes on top of the pie.
• Place a sheet tray in the oven while it is preheating. Baking the pie on the sheet tray can help crisp the bottom crust. This is a great trick if you’re worried about a soggy bottom or if you are using a ceramic pie dish that can insulate the dough from high heat and not crisp as well.
• If the lattice topping starts to brown too much: Tent the whole pie with a sheet of foil.
• To speed things up.  Use a pre-made pie crust like Pillsbury.