Tastes Like Summer: Double Crust Peach Pie

Nothing says summer like fresh peaches. And nothing says summer treat like peach pie. For this recipe, I decided to go back to the basics, with a few minor tweaks. The crust and filling are care of the Joy of Cooking.

For the crust: Delux Butter Flaky Pastry Dough

This crust is amazing. It has the delicious flavor of butter with a little shortening thrown in for flakiness. Handle it carefully and be sure to refrigerate it for the full amount of time. This recipe makes enough for a top and bottom crust.

Mix together in a large bowl:

2.5 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon white sugar OR 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar

(I prefer white sugar for this recipe because of the long baking time.)

1 teaspoon salt

Working quickly to prevent softening, cut into 1/4 inch pieces:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter

Add the butter to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter to chop the butter into pea-sized pieces.

Add:

1/4 cup sold vegetable shortening

With a few quick strokes, cut the shortening into large chunks and distribute throughout the bowl. Continue to chop with the pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pie-sized pieces. Do not let the mixture soften and begin to clump; it must remain dry and powdery.

Drizzle over the mixture:

1/3 plus 1 tablespoon ice cold water

Cut with the side of a rubber spatula until the mixture looks evenly moistened and begins to form small balls. Press down on the dough with the flat side of the spatula. If the balls of dough stick together, you have added enough water. If not, drizzle over the top:

1 to 2 tablespoons ice water

Cut in the water, then press with your hands until the dough coheres. The dough should look rough, not smooth. Divide in half, and make two rounds. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably several hours, or for up to 2 days.

For the filling:

(Be sure to preheat the oven to 425 F)

Blanche peaches for about 1 minute for easy peeling

Peel, pit, and slice 1/4 inch thick:

2.5 pounds (about 5 cups) peaches

Combine with:

1/2 to 1/3 cup sugar

3 to 3.5 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca or cornstarch

(Use cornstarch for a lattice pie. I also recommend using cornstarch over flour as a thickener for pie.)

3 tablespoons strained fresh lime juice

(Here's where I depart slightly from Irma. She calls for lemon, but I think the lime flavor is better.)

1/8 teaspoon salt

Let stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Roll out dough right before baking, then ladle fruit onto bottom crust, leaving some of the juices behind. Cover with the top crust (or lattice), then seal the edge, trim, and crimp. If using a closed top crust, cut steam vents. You can also lightly brush the top of the pie with milk or cream and dust with 2 teaspoons of sugar.

Bake the pie for 30 minutes. Slip a baking sheet beneath it if it looks extra juicy. Reduce heat to 350, then bake until juices bubble through the vents, about 25 to 35 minutes more. let cool on a rack before serving. And definitely serve with vanilla ice cream.