Lattice Topped Peach Pie

Lattice Topped Peach Pie

Ingredients

  • Flaky Pie Crust
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted cold butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • ½ of an 8 ounce package of cream cheese, cold, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons ice water
  • 1 tablespoon cold orange juice
  • Peach Filling
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 6 cups about 8 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced OR 2 pounds frozen sliced peaches, thawed and drained
  • 1 large egg, whisked in a small bowl, to be used as an egg wash
  • Granulated sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together both sugars, flour and the spices until well blended.
  • Add the sliced peaches, and using a large spoon, mix well. Set aside.
  • In a food processor, pulse to combine the flour, salt and baking powder.
  • Add the butter and cream cheese cubes and pulse just until the butter and cream cheese form pea-sized pieces. Do not over process.
  • Add the ice water and orange juice and pulse about 4 or 5 times.
  • Pour the crust into a medium bowl, and using your hands, lightly gather the mixture into a ball of dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap. Press down to form a 1 inch thick disk. Chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour and up to 4 days.
  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • Using a sharp knife or dough scraper, divide the dough in half.
  • On a well-floured work surface, flour a rolling pin and placing a 9 inch pie pan next to you, roll out one half of the dough to a 10 inch diameter circle, about ¼ inch thick, using the pie pan as a guide. Brush off any excess flour with a pastry brush.
  • Carefully fold the circle of dough in half and then in quarters and lay it gently into the pie pan. Unfold the crust and gently fit it into the pan. Trim off any excess dough leaving a ½ inch edge hanging off all around the diameter of the pie pan.
  • Roll the remaining half of dough into a rectangle at least 10 inches square and about ¼ inch thick.
  • Using a pizza cutter or a fluted pie crimper, trim away any rough edges and then cut the square into 10 strips each about ½ inch wide.
  • Using a slotted spoon to allow the juices to remain in the bowl, place the peach filling into the pie pan spreading the filling evenly.
  • Using a pastry brush, coat all around the edges of the crust with some of the egg wash. The egg wash will help the strips of dough to adhere to the bottom crust.
  • To make a lattice top crust: Lay 5 strips of dough evenly spaced across the filled pie allowing the excess dough from the strips to hang over the edges of the pie pan.
  • Gently fold back the second and fourth strips and add a strip of dough down the center of the pie that lies perpendicular to the others. Unfold the second and fourth strips so they lie over the center strip.
  • Gently fold back the first, third and fifth strips and place another strip parallel to the center strip leaving a space in between them.
  • Repeat step 11 on the other side of the center strip, again weaving another pastry strip over the top of the pie. There should now be 3 strips total.
  • Repeat step 10 on both sides of the pie, folding back the second and fourth strips and adding a total of 2 more strips. There should now be 5 evenly spaced strips in one direction and 5 evenly spaced strips perpendicular to the others. This completes the lattice top.
  • Using a small sharp knife cut each strip flush with the edge of the pie crust and gently seal the strips to the bottom crust so that they adhere together. Crimp the edges decoratively by pinching the dough all around the pie.
  • Set the finished pie onto an aluminum foil lined sheet pan.
  • Using a pastry brush, lightly egg wash all over the pie crust including the lattice strips.
  • Generously sprinkle some granulated sugar all over the pie.
  • Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling through the spaces in the lattice crust. Check the pie midway through baking and if the crust is getting too brown cover the top with a piece of aluminum foil.
  • Serve the pie warm with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Makes 1 9-inch pie