“The nectarine and curious peach, into my hands themselves do reach; Stumbling on melons as I pass, ensnared with flowers, I fall on grass.” ~Andrew Marvell
Nothing says summertime like Peach Raspberry Pie, made from scratch and enjoyed with homemade whipped cream. Melt in your mouth goodness.
When I was a teenager, my mom spent time teaching me how to make pie crust. She said, “There’s an art to it. You have to handle it gently and work quickly.” She shared with me her recipe, which I used for years, until I discovered this one. This recipe uses mostly butter and just a smidge of shortening, which, I think, gives great flavor and flakiness. It’s also not a terribly delicate pie crust recipe. I use extra flour to prevent sticking. I’ve learned a few tricks along the way. If you’ve never made pie crust from scratch before, do it! It is well worth the effort and to keep your family incredibly in love with you, do it again and again. Before you know it, you will roll the crust out with ease and be able to whip a pie up in no time at all. Then you can relish every moment of a summertime meal.
How to Make Pie Crust
Ingredients:
2 1/2 C. all purpose flour
2 Tbls. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
11 Tbls. cold unsalted butter in small pieces
2 1/2 Tbls. cold shortening (I keep a tub in the fridge)
4-5 Tbls. ice cold water as needed
I have found that using a Kitchen Aid food processor works the best for making a pie crust.
Place the dry ingredients in first and pulse to combine.
Then add the butter and shortening in and pulse to combine. Then add 1 Tbls. at a time of ice cold water (I actually put ice cubes in the water glass to make it cold…but, only measure water to add.) Depending on the humidity in your room, you will use 4-6 Tbls. of water. I do this step, by look. You want the pieces to begin to come together and just start to pull away from the sides of the mixer. There will be some loose flour as well. Do not over mix this step. To double check, take the lid off the food processor and pinch to see if the mixture stays together.
Divide the dough into two round discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap and flatten to about an inch thick. I also take my hand around the disc and flatten the edges so there are no cracks. I find this helps when rolling out the dough. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Meanwhile, mix the filling for Peach Raspberry Pie.
Filling
Ingredients:
7 ripe peaches, peeled, de-pitted and sliced
1 pt. of fresh raspberries
2 Tbls. apricot preserves
1/4 C. packed light brown sugar
2 1/2 Tbls. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom
Mix all the ingredients together. If the mixture is too juicy, add a little more corn starch.
After your dough has chilled, take them out of the plastic wrap. Flour your counter and flour the disc. Begin to roll from the center of the disc.
(Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.)
Think of the disc as a clock. Always starting at the center, with a rolling pin, roll out at 12…once. Then move to 3…roll, then 6…roll, then 9 roll…back to 12. Then go in between 12 and 3, in between 3 and 6, in between 6 and 9 and in between 9 and 12. Slightly pick up dough and make sure it’s not sticking. Re-flour underneath and on top if necessary. Rolling this way will help insure a round pie crust and will prevent from tearing. Roll out dough until it is about an inch and a half bigger than the top of the pie pan. Fold dough in half.
Fold dough in half again.
This helps when transferring dough to pie plate. Lay in pie plate and carefully unfold.
Put your peach and raspberry filling in.
Then, roll out the next disc the same way as the first and drape over top filling. Cut air vents in top with a sharp knife.
Place pie on a cookie sheet…at least this is what I do to prevent the fruit from bubbling over onto my oven. Lightly cover pie with foil. Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 400 degrees. Then remove the foil and bake another 35 to 40 minutes. Fruit will be bubbly and crust golden.
Slice and enjoy with some fresh whipped cream!
*Recipes adapted from Classic Home Desserts.
