Peaches! Ripe, juicy white peaches just begged to go into a pie. Thought I’d combine them with some blackberries from down the driveway, but it’s been too hot to pick berries. Decided to go with blueberries instead and it really is a winning combo.
For this pie you take your favorite pie dough and make a single crust pie shell, then fill it with pie weights (inside a round of parchment is my favorite way to do it, and I use lentils as the weights).
While the pie shell is baking, peel and pit the peaches, then slice them. I doused them with lemon juice, too, to keep them from turning brown at the cut edges.
A mixture of bread crumbs and cornstarch in the bottom of the finished, cooled (and pie weights removed) pie shell help soak up some of the juices from the fruit.
The crumble topping gets made in a medium bowl. Don’t forget the nutmeg…it goes so well with peaches. If possible, grate it fresh from an actual nutmeg.
Now the fun begins. Half the peaches go into the pie shell, half the blueberries are scattered around, the second half of the peaches go on top of that, then the rest of the blueberries. Mound the filling in the middle a bit if you can.
The topping is spread on top and it’s ready for the preheated oven.
In a half an hour or so you have a beautiful pie! Let it cool to at least room temperature before serving. There. Summer in a pie.
Peach and Blueberry Crumb Topped Pie
Pie dough for one crust
Pie weights
1 cup blueberries
4 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced and pit removed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
Topping:
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
6 tablespoons (1/2 stick + 2 tablespoons) cold butter
Rollout pie dough to about 10″ in diameter. Line a
8″ or 9″ pie plate with the dough, crimping the dough around the
edges of the pan. Prick lightly all over. Line with parchment paper and weigh
with pie weights (raw beans do fine and can be stored and re-used). Bake in a
preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10
minutes. Remove pie weights.
Prepare filling by putting corn starch, dry bread crumbs and lemon zest (if using) into a
bowl and mix together gently. Sprinkle on the baked and cooled (and weights removed) pie shell. Then add half the peaches. Sprinkle half the blueberries evenly over the peaches, then the rest of the peaches, then the rest of the blueberries.
Prepare the topping by mixing the oats, flour, brown sugar, pecans
and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your
fingers, cut the cold butter into the mixture until incorporated and clumps
form.
Pour the crumb mixture over the fruit filling. Spread it to
cover the pie.
Bake the pie in a preheated 350 degree F oven until the
topping is lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a
rack. Serves 6-8.
