Deep Dish Peach Pie

Deep Dish Peach Pie

Cook's notes: Summer in a dish. Deep dish peach pie is the best of both worlds. You get all the goodness of a "crumble," the flavor of juicy ripe peaches and taste of a flaky, buttery pie crust. For this dish you can make your own pie crust or use a prepared refrigerated crust.   

If using a glass or metal pie dish instead of a deep-dish ceramic pie plate, be sure to keep an eye on the pie. It may cook more quickly. 

To easily remove skins from peaches add to boiling water for 30 seconds, place in a colander with ice cubes and with fingers remove skins 

recipe adapted from epicurious.com

Preheat oven to 400 and place place rack at second to lowest position in oven to ensure a crisp bottom crust.  

Ingredients:

Streusel topping:

• 1/2 cup plus 2 TB. flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 6 TB. chilled butter, diced into small pieces
• 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Filling:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 TB. quick cooking tapioca
• 1 tsp. cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1-1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 5-6 cups diced peaches (about 8 peaches) 

Directions:
Crust:

• Roll out dough on a floured surface and transfer to a 9 inch deep dish pie plate. Crimp edges. 
• Place strips of foil around outside edges of pie plate and press into plate edges. This prevents crust from over browning. Chill crust while making filling and topping. 

For streusel topping:

• Mix flour, oats, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add in butter, rub with fingertips until mixture holds together in moist clumps.  Using a food processor and pulse a few times is another option. Mix in pecans.

Filling:

• Stir sugar with tapioca, cinnamon, nutmeg. 
• Mix in lemon juice, then diced peaches.
• Let stand 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
• Using a slotted spoon place filling in pie crust and sprinkle topping over the filling.
• Slide foil lined baking sheet under rack to catch any drips. 
• Bake 30 minutes and reduce oven temperature to 350. Bake about 15 minutes more. Juices should bubble thickly and topping golden.   

many egg dishes may be lowered in fat by replacing some of the whole eggs with egg whites and using milk in lieu of cream or half and half. This way the fat is lowered but the taste is not compromised.