It's Natl Peach Pie Day - let's celebrate!

Fresh fruit makes a yummy pie

Being a single gal, sometimes when I go the grocery store my eyes are bigger than my fridge.  It's not that I have a small fridge.  Sometimes I just buy more food than one person can cook/eat in one week.  Especially in the summer when there are so many yummy, fresh fruits and veggies in season.

I love peaches.  When walk into the produce section and smell those yummy peaches, I gotta buy some.  I still had three peaches in the fridge when I went to the store on Sunday.  But the peaches at the store looked great, I just had to buy a few more.  "A few" being 6.

Today when I looked in the fridge, I saw that I still had those 6 peaches and that their freshness was quickly coming to an end.  Since there is only one of me and 6 of them, I decided the best thing to do was to put those peaches into a pie.  I LOVE fruit pie.  Especially when I make it myself.  Most commercial-made fruit pie is a little sweet for my taste.

When I was in the fridge looking at my peaches, I noticed that had a pint of blueberries that also needed fulfill its fruity destiny.  So I went to my favorite resource for great recipes: Pinterest.  I searched for "peach pie" and found a recipe that had peaches AND blueberries.  Serendipity!

I give full props to Joy the Baker, who originally posted this recipe on her blog.  I adjusted the sugar for my own preference and used ready-made crust (I know ... cast your stones).  If you're braver than I and want to make the pie crust, please visit her page for the extended recipe.

This was my first time making a peach blueberry pie, and I give this recipe two big thumbs up.  It is super easy to prepare, and the finished product is DELICIOUS.

Peach and Blueberry Pie

makes one 9-inch pie

3 pounds ripe peaches (about 6 peaches)

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 to 2/3 cups granulated sugar (depending on the sweetness of your peaches)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

scant 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, for topping crust before baking

 To make the filling, wash and slice peaches.  In a medium bowl, combine peach slices and blueberries.  In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, spices, flour, and cornstarch.  Pour the sugar mixture over the fruit, and gently toss together with a wooden spoon.  Stir in the lemon juice.  Place bowl of fruit in the fridge to rest while you roll the crust out.

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place a rack in the center of the oven, and place a baking sheet on the lower rack, just below where you’re going to place the pie.  This will catch any pie drippings without making a mess of your oven.

 

Remove the bottom crust and fruit filling from the fridge.  Gently pour the fruit filling into the pie dish.  Carefully remove the top crust from the work surface and drape over the fruit in the pie dish.



With a small knife, trim the crust, leaving about 3/4-inch overhang.  With your fingers press the top and bottom crusts together and fold under.  Use your fingers to crimp the edges of the dough.  I like to cut a circle in the center of the pie.  That's just my signature move.  You can go the traditional 5 small slits in the top of the crust if you prefer.  Either way, make sure you allow a vent so the juices and steam can be released.  Brush lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place pie in the oven and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.  Reduce the oven heat to 375 and bake for 45 to 55 more minutes.  Remove from the oven when crust is browned and golden, and the juices are bubbling. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2 hours before serving.  Place covered in the fridge to store.  Pie lasts up to 3 or 4 days.  Top it with some vanilla ice cream and enjoy!