Peach Blueberry Pie

Remember the box of peaches I got from Costco? I was down to the "wire" to use them up. 

Due to a poor air quality alert in Central Minnesota, I stayed inside today. It was a good day to bake a pie. Plus, having peaches leftover, I also had blueberries to use up. I saw that Colorado peaches have arrived.  

  
Cook's Notes: Since peaches in general (fresh or frozen) are juicy, this pie won’t be as sturdy as an apple pie, for example. Frozen fruit will be fine, but just make sure it is thawed and completely drained. 
One of the secrets to a sturdy pie filling is waiting until the pie is completely cool, about 2 hours, before cutting a slice.  I might add a difficult wait for my husband. The pie was terrific, and adding a scoop of ice cream was just the piece de resistance.   The crust was brushed with milk and sprinkled with a cinnamon sugar mixture before baking.  

 Peach Blueberry Pie 

Ingredients:

• Prepared pie crust mix (need a top and bottom crust) or homemade recipe 
• 7 large ripe peaches
• 1 cup of blueberries rinsed, drained, and patted dry on a paper towel 
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar 
• 1/4 cup quick cooking tapioca
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon Saigon cinnamon or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• Dash of allspice 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract   
• 1/2 teaspoon butter 
• 2 tablespoons sugar mixed with a 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 

Directions:

• Blanch peaches for 30 seconds in boiling water, then submerge immediately in an ice water bath and remove skins.
• In a large bowl, mix sugars, tapioca, cornstarch, cinnamon,  and lemon juice.
• Cut peaches into chunks, add to the sugar mixture with blueberries and coat. Add in almond extract, stir in gently.
• Let peach mixture stand for 15 minutes (stir occasionally) while rolling out dough for bottom crust.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• The peach mixture will be liquidy, so use a slotted spoon or colander to drain some of the juices before you place it on the bottom crust.
• Dot with butter.
• Place the top crust over the filling and flute the edges. 
• Add foil strips around the top crust on the outside edge, which will prevent over-browning.
• Using a pastry brush, moisten the top crust with a little milk or an egg wash. Sprinkle with a mixture of white sugar and cinnamon over the crust. 
• Cut 4 vents about 2-1/2 inches long in the top crust.   
• Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400 and bake 20-25 minutes longer. The juices should be bubbly and noticeable through the pie crust vents.