Pie and Pastry Bible (38 page)

Only 6 cups of sliced fruit are used for this pie compared to the 8 cups used in the apple and nectarine pies because peaches are a little softer and don’t hold up as well in a thicker layer.

CRUSTLESS PEACH-GINGER PIE

W
hen fresh peaches are in season, this tart, juicy peach pie, without a bottom crust and topped with crisp pie crust cutouts, is a marvelous way to enjoy them. They are also delicious as a crustless crumb pie (see the Crustless Apple Crumb Pie on page 89; simply substitute the peach filling and almonds for the walnuts in the crumb topping).

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 400°F. • BAKING TIME: 30 TO 40 MINUTES SERVES: 6
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
*To peel peaches, bring a pot of water to a boil, add the peaches, and blanch for 1 minute. Drain at once and rinse with cold water. If the peaches are ripe, the peels will slip off easily.
baked decorative pastry cutouts, sprinkled with sugar before baking (see page 14)		•	•
1¾ pounds peaches (about 5 medium), peeled,* pitted, and sliced into 16ths	4cups (sliced)	22.5 ounces 635 grams (sliced)
light brown sugar	cup, packed	2.5 ounces	72 grams
salt	a pinch	•	•
cornstarch	2 teaspoons		6 grams
grated fresh ginger	2 teaspoons		•	6 grams
finely grated lemon zest	1 teaspoon	•	2 grams
ground cinnamon	¾ teaspoon	•	•

EQUIPMENT

A 9-inch pie pan (preferably clear glass)
^*

Make and bake the pastry cutouts, sprinkling them with sugar before baking (see page 14).

In a medium bowl, place the peaches, brown sugar, and salt. With a rubber spatula, toss them gently to mix evenly. Allow them to macerate for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the middle level before preheating.

Transfer the peaches to a colander suspended over a bowl to capture the liquid. The peaches will exude
cup of juice.

In a small saucepan (preferably lined with a nonstick surface), over medium-high heat, boil down this liquid to about
cup, until syrupy and lightly caramelized. Swirl but do not stir it. (Alternatively, spray a 4-cup heatproof measure with nonstick vegetable spray, add the liquid, and boil it in the microwave, about 6 minutes on high.) Meanwhile, transfer the peaches to a bowl and toss them with the cornstarch, ginger, lemon zest, and cinnamon until all traces of the cornstarch have disappeared.

Pour the syrup over the peaches, tossing gently. (Do not be concerned if the liquid hardens on contact with the peaches; it will dissolve during baking.)

Empty the peaches into the pie pan. Cover it with foil and make a 1-inch slash in the middle. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the juices bubble thickly and the peaches feel tender when pierced with a skewer or knife. Cool on a rack until warm or room temperature.

Up to 12 hours before serving the pie, garnish with the baked pastry cutouts.

STORE

Covered tightly with plastic wrap, without the pastry cutouts, room temperature, up to 2 days; refrigerated, up to 3 days.

NOTE

If a deeper filling is desired, you can increase the filling by 1½ times and increase the baking time by 5 minutes. Set a greased foil-lined baking sheet under the pie to catch bubbling juices.

CONCORD GRAPE PIE

M
y first Concord grape pie was brought to me as a gift from one of my former husband’s students when he was a teacher at Pennsbury High School in Pennsylvania. I knew the gift of the pie meant she had a crush on him, but I didn’t mind at all because she included an index card on which the recipe was perfectly printed, so I knew the gift was for me too!

Her recipe was made with a lattice crust, which was handsome because it showcased the beautiful purple fruit, but I found it difficult to apply a lattice crust to such a juicy mixture without first freezing the filling. My solution was to make round vents in the top crust so that they resembled a cluster of grapes.

Serve this pie à la mode with peanut butter ice cream (page 246).

EQUIPMENT

A 9-inch pie pan; optional: a number 8 (
-inch) plain pastry tube

Make the dough (page 23).

Remove the dough for the bottom crust from the refrigerator. If necessary, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes or until it is soft enough to roll.

On a floured pastry cloth or between two sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap, roll the bottom crust
inch thick or less and large enough to cut a 12-inch circle. Transfer it to the pie pan. Trim the edge almost even with the edge of the pan. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours.

Rinse the grapes well and drain thoroughly. Stem them and remove the skins from the grapes by pressing them between your thumb and forefinger. Reserve the skins.

In a medium saucepan, place the grapes and squeeze the liquid from the peels into them; reserve the skins. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cool completely.

Press the grapes through a fine sieve and discard the pits. Add the grape peels and all the remaining ingredients. (The pulp is 1
cups; the pulp with the skins is 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons.) Transfer the grape mixture to the pie shell.