Peach Pie

prep time:: 1 hr
total time:: 2 hr

Makes 1 9-inch pie

This is actually a really easy pie to make! When I was a youth, my fam would go on bonding trips and pick peaches together at pick-your-own-fruit farms. These bonding trips were not fun. But this pie is good!

ingredients

Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup ice water
1 egg white

Filling

12 medium-sized (or about 2 1/2 pounds) yellow peaches
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon almond extract
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

directions

Crust

1
Plae the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter and mix with an electric blender until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
2
With the mixer still on, add the ice water. Do not allow the dough to form a solid mass or it will become tough.
3
Test the dough by pinching a small amount between your fingers. If the dough sticks together, it is ready. If not, add an additional tablespoon of ice water and mix again.
4
Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, roll out one half of the dough into an 11-inch circle. Transfer the dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Press the dough firmly into the pie plate, letting 1 inch hang over the edge.
5
Brush the bottom and side of the crust with the egg white and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Filling

1
Preheat oven to 425°.
2
Cut the peaches in half through the stem end. Peel the peaches, remove the pits, and slice each half into 4 or 5 wedges. Place the peaches in a medium sized bowl, adding the lemon juice and the almond extract, and toss to coat.
3
Place the brown sugar, cornstarch, and nutmeg in a small bowl and stir to combine. Add this mixture to the peaches and stir to coat the fruit thoroughly. Set the peach mixture aside.
4
Roll out the other half of the pie dough in an 11-inch circle. Spread the graham cracker crumbs evenly across the bottom of pie crust already in pan. Spoon the peach mixture over the graham cracker crumbs.
5
Cover the pie with the rolled-out pie dough. Trim the dough, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Fold the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the edges together.
6
Using a small knife, cut 3 or 4 slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape during baking. Transfer pie to the freezer for 15 minutes.
7
Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, reduce oven heat to 350° and continue baking pie until crust is golden and the peach juice bubble up through the slits, 30 to 40 minutes.