This is a Martha July 4th. I was standing in the grocery store line and I got swept by her magazine. One Look at her berry pies adorned in stars and stripes and the “decorator” in me was smitten.

I did blackberry and peach, and I think you get the idea. Decorate your favorite pie with stars and stripes and Happy July 4th,

I tend to get a bit obsessive when cooking for Spinach Tiger.  I want to become proficient at whatever I take on, so I can tell you the truth, and help you understand food and how it works and not just a recipe. So, it’s a normal process for me to make ten pies in one week and then not make them again for months.  And, with pie, I learn something every time. 

My Pie Process: First, it’s the Crust

I can make a good pie crust using any of the many recipes out there, because it’s not so much the ratio of ingredients as it is the restraint in not over blending the butter.

Growing up, I would hear the many different raves about pie crust.  And, the “secret” would be in the shortening or in the water. Maybe there is some truth to that, but I think the secret is practice and understanding the baking process. While people argue butter, lard, or shortening, (and those do matter), the hardest part is making a crust that is pocketed with butter, not smeared. Butter pockets live within the flour and, as they melt while baking, magical flakiness occurs. It’s that simple, but a tiny bit complicated, only because it’s counter intuitive to the way we cook most other things, where we need to “mix thoroughly.”

Of all the different pie crust recipes, I stick with all butter and I like the recipe from Alice Waters. 

Rolling pins: I’ve tried all kinds, and I love the french, long wooden (no handles) type best.

Roul’Pat: I use a roul’pat by Demarle  to roll out pastry and pizza. Dough doesn’t stick. This is made by same company that makes silpat.

Tips for a Good Crust

Freeze butter

Evenly distribute butter before starting to mix

Use ice cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time

Chill for several hours

Never stretch dough to make it fit

Chill pie/tart pan, once dough is placed in it

Restraint: 20 second intervals with food processor; no more than 1 minute with kitchen aid before adding in water

Second, it’s the Filling

I do not like most store bought or restaurant pies. I take exception with Park Pantry in Long Beach, California. I used to walk there at twice a week to eat dinner, and once in while would splurge on their homemade pie. There is none better. Most places get pie so wrong, because they follow recipes and cater to the sweetest sweet tooth, thus ruining the pie.  No fruit is the same. One peach is sour, one peach is sweet, even from the same batch.  So, no one sugar amount is good to use for all time. Taste and adjust. The best pie feelings go by instinct and taste. The lemon juice is important, as it helps the piefrom getting runny.

I turned my pie into a  10” tart, because I just like the look, but this can be an old-fashioned pie just as easily.

The result was a naturally sweet, juicy, but not runny pie with the flakiest crust.

The secret to a good peach pie is good peaches. Blanch in boiling water so the skins slip right off. Isn’t this just beautiful?  And, there is no waste.

Recipe  

Pie Crust (recipe below)

6-8 peaches

3-6 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons corn starch (or flour)

1 tablespoons lemon juice

Cinnamon sugar (optional) to your own taste

Make an x in bottom of each peach. Blanch in boiling water for one minutes. Skins should slip right off. Cool. Slice in wedges 3/4 “ thick. Toss gently with lemon and 1 tablespoon sugar. Chill overnight. You can skip this part if you don’t have time, but I think it makes the peaches sweeter and requiring less sugar. Since peaches can run from sour to very sweet, you’ll have to be your own best taster.   This is why there is a large variation in sugar measure. Mix gently with flour.  

Note: Tarts use less peaches than pies. You may need to adjust to make a pie.

Tart Crust (adapted from Alice Waters, The Art of Simple Food)

2 cups unbleached flour ( plus 1 teaspoon for later)

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons cold  unsalted butter (if using salted, omit salt)

1/2 cup iced cold water

1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

1 egg with 2 teaspoons of water, mixed (for egg wash)

Mix salt and flour together. Cut butter into small pieces. Freeze for a few minutes, as butter softens immediately upon cutting. If using food processor, put flour mixture in bowl. Lay small pieces of butter evenly over flour and mix for 20 seconds at a time, stopping as soon as dough is shaggy.  Stream in cold water. If using kitchen aid type mixer, use paddle attachment on low setting for one minute max. Stream in cold water on sides of bowl. Mix on low, just until incorporated. Form into disc , wrap in plastic at least one hour. I rest my dough overnight, but this is not a must.

Pie/Tart Assembly

Take dough out 30 minutes before rolling to soften. Take peaches out of refrigerator at same time an finish off preparation. (Adding flour or corn starch). Taste peaches to ascertain sweetness.

Since this doesn’t call for a full double crust, cut in half being more generous with one half. Roll out dough, and here again, use your best judgement on rolling evenly, not too thick, less than 1/4” thick and in all directions to make a circle. Do not stretch dough, because it will shrink back. Patch any cracks or holes. Use fork to make indentations. Chill for 30 minutes, or put in freezer for 15.

Make a mixture of 1 teaspoon flour and 2 teaspoons sugar and put on bottom of crust. Place peaches in colander to drain excess liquid and arrange over sugar. 

Roll out the rest of the dough into a rectangle shape and cut out stars and stripes. Arrange.

Brush dough with egg wash to enhance browning.

Bake for 45 -55 minutes at oven’s lower level  at 375. During last 20 minutes, you may need to tent with foil to avoid further browning.

Cool completely before cutting.

Note:  Use any left over peaches and dough scraps to put a galete together, as pictured below. This could be your taste tester.

For a real treat, serve with peach ice cream.

Or with peaches left over, try peach clafoutis for breakfast.

Spinach Tiger Entry 210- Angela Roberts -  Stars and Stripes Peach PIe

Key Words:   Peach PIe, Tart, Martha Stewart, Pie Crust

Categories:    Pie, Baked Goods, Dessert, Fruit

All original content   copyright © 2010 Angela Roberts, All Rights Reserved