Thursday, August 11, 2016

Revisiting Ruthy's All Time Favorite Peaches-and-Cream Pie

This originally appeared a while ago. :) But that's not the important thing, the important thing is that this is an amazing recipe. It's a recipe I make every summer, several times, because it's that good and everyone loves it. It scents and sights summer before us. Golden peaches, sweet cream, and never runny... so here it is again while I am busily helping on the farm, refinishing porches with my friend Casey... and finishing those front gardens where I killed all that English ivy and poison ivy... So while my hands are busy outside, every now and again I have to dash inside to make something absolutely delicious, and this one is at the top of our list! This recipe came courtesy of my mother-in-law Theresa Blodgett who said, "I bet Ruth would love this recipe! Can I have a copy?"

Of course I have no idea who she said that to!!! So here we go:


Okay, here it is, as promised!  I can't believe I didn't post this a few weeks ago. We are to say NOTHING of Ruthy's memory lapses from this point forward, 'kay????

'Kay!

:)

So here is the basic pic of recipe ingredients:  
 Of course, you need pie crust so go HERE and use my Country Tearoom recipe that has won awards all over the place. I know this because the magazine said so a gazillion years ago when dinosaurs made pies.

Basic recipe with Ruthy flair:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 Tbsp. quick cooking tapioca
Dash salt  * Note for you purists.... Add it. Look at what Lindt has done for dark chocolate by adding a hint of sea salt???? Chocolate covered pretzels??? Delish, right? Trust me, adding incidental hints of salt and savory tastes will not (most likely) end the world. And it gives a background pizzazz.

1 1/4   cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon  or nutmeg or both (if desired)  It's great with or without the spices, but I love the scent and taste of fall.

Peel and slice 6-7 cups of fresh peaches, or use frozen peaches, thawed and drained

Combine all dry ingredients. Mix all but a tablespoon or two of the heavy cream with the vanilla. Save the extra bit of cream for brushing the top crust...  Add to sugar mixture.   Add peaches. Toss lightly. Let sit for 10-15 minutes while you do the crust.


Take two sections of pie crust, either fresh or frozen. Roll one out to fit a deep dish 9" pan. Don't roll top crust yet... 

Once peach/sugar/cream mixture has sat a while and maybe you've had a cup of coffee or a glass of tea, roll that top crust out. Using a sharp knife or 'ruffle edge' cutter, make a bunch of 1" (one inch wide) ribbons of crust. To do a lattice crust, start in the middle of the pie with the longest pieces. You usually only use about 10-12 pieces of crust, and if you start in the middle, you can easily raise the piece below up enough to "weave" the next piece of crust. It's like making a potholder only more delicious than any stretchy cotton yarn I've ever eaten. And I've had my share!

Tuck the edges under, then flute the edge by pinching. Brush remaining cream over the pie crust and sprinkle with sugar. When the little boys help me sprinkle with sugar we get LOTS OF SUGAR.


They were nowhere to be found today, so we have a NORMAL amount of sugar.


I use aluminum foil strips to prevent the edges from over-browning. I'm fussy that way. I like them golden, not brown. But then, I like wimpy toast, too. Clearly, I'm a wuss.



Bake at 400 degrees for 40-55 minutes, until crust is golden brown and filling bubbles up between the lattice slats. Cool on wire rack. Store in refrigerator.

Eat. Eat. Eat. Truly, this is by far the best peach pie I have ever eaten. I'm not a peach pie person, although I love peaches. I hate soggy pies. I get SO MAD when a pie crust is ruined by day 2 because the crust is soggy. Obviously I'm a little OCD when it comes to pie, but this pie????

Oh.... THIS PIE doesn't do that. It's just perfect, even several days in.

'Sall I'm sayin'.

27 comments:

  1. I love this recipe! And I also love how pretty the pictures are. That crust is browned to perfection!

    Our peaches are JUST on the verge of ripening. A few more days, I hope, and then I'll be making peach pie a la Ruthy.

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    1. One of my favorite recipes of all time, Mary Jane! It just comes out perfect, every time. I love it! And our peaches are in, but super short supply this year. Still worth a pie for this weekend, right? I can't wait!!!

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  2. This looks de-lish! I'm with you on the no brown crust. I use foil and I also have a pie ring for this, but it's large so it doesn't fit on the smaller pies.

    I need to make a grocery run for the tapioca and heavy cream! I hope you're having as much fun as your fb pictures show with your summer home improvement projects!

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    1. I am so totally loving my summer home improvement projects. The inside is a mess, and stuff is half-done from when the sun finally started to shine... but that's okay! I'll get back to those eventually. Right now mending porches and railings and tables and gardens... Oh, I am in my happy dance mode!!!!

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  3. I guess I should be baking more pies. My daughter bought me those little silicon pie edge covers for Christmas one year but I don't think I've ever used them except at Thanksgiving. Ooops.

    I don't dare make this as I ate my entire peach praline shortbread last week and it's showing on the scale. But I'll imagine it and then I'll try that 12 hour thing.

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    1. So what is this 12 hour thing you're talking about?

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    2. Jan, I saw this in Reader's Digest and had to try it because I hate giving up all the things I love to eat... but at 5'2" I have to be careful, right? The 12 hour fast is simply not eating for 12 hours at night. Whatever works in your schedule, so for me it's 6:00 to 6:00. And then I eat as I'm hungry during the day. It's a metabolic thing, there are tons of links on it, and here's one I grabbed: http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2015/01/30/time-restricted-eating.aspx

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    3. So now I eat through the day (and the days are busy here right now) but after 6:00 I just don't eat... so I'm not grabbing a bedtime snack, LOL! And I wake up feeling (laugh!!!!) thinner and more in control. I figured the testing results looked sensible, and I think learning to fast can help make us stronger people... so I figured it was worth a try. And I think it's helping! LOOSER PANTS. :)

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    4. I'm game. On my way to read the article.

      Of course, during conference or vacation, all bets are off, right? :)

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  4. I have peaches in the fridge! Ripened to perfection on the counter and need to be used!

    Pie. My family will love it. And Cate's peach praline shortcake.

    The scale is groaning already. :)

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    1. I know.

      So now we can all do the 12 hour thing and track our changes!!!! SCIENCE AMONG US!

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  5. I don't know how you manage to do all the outdoor stuff in this heat -- I think your temps are similar to ours. This is the fourth straight week of temps in the nineties and even pushed over 100 this week. Ugh.

    I wish my pies looked as pretty as yours. They don't...sigh...but they taste good so I guess that's the important thing, right?

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    1. Taste is clutch, Kavalicious! Taste is clutch! And I do the outdoor stuff either really early (after first writing stint, so about 7:00 AM) OR in the evening if it cools down. And in the shade. The shade helps, Kav!!!

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  6. Oh Ruthy! I think I'm going to make this as a cobbler w/glutten free granola as a topping or GF biscuit mix! Anything to try it! Well, honestly I guess could just go ahead & make gf pie crust. :)

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    1. It is probably awesome either way, my friend, but with the pie crust it tastes like FINE PASTRY... oh, so delicious! Amazing!

      Yes, try it and see. I just loved that the filling tasted amazing and it didn't make the crust soggy, even on day 2... That's almost a miracle, right???

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  7. And I got a Veggetti! Isn't that the greatest?! Planning to make cucumber spaghetti asap! :)

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    1. I love the Veggetti! We've been making a lot of zoodles here! YUM, Jana!!!!

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    2. I still need to order a Veggetti! It sounds so fun.

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  8. I'm laughing because I can't even imagine a pie lasting two days in your house. LOL. If I were around, it wouldn't even be a day old.

    Sounds yummy.

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    1. This is an amazing pie... but kids don't like pie the way they like cookies! So kids will grab three cookies and ignore pie. (Hey, I never said kids were smart!!!) :) And I don't like soggy crust. Blech.... so this is PERFECT, my friend!

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  9. You're killing me, Ruthy! Now I need to make this. You hear that? Need. Not want, NEED!

    'Nuf said.

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    1. You must. Tell me if I'm making a big to-do about nothing because I am a pie lover. I think pie is the forgotten pastry, like the most amazing pastry there is in so many respects... But tell me if I'm wrong about this one!

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  10. Ruthy, I am not a peach pie kind of person, but this recipe belongs in my book since my husband & son love it! Now I call that true love when I'm willing to bake a sweet I'm not fond of for my guys :-)

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    1. I agree, Trixi!!! I do that for desserts, but I'm not as generous with dinners I don't like... I kind of shove those recipes off to the side! Unless it's a holiday, or a kid coming home. Then all bets are off!

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  11. Ruthy, that's such a beautiful pie!! I really need to make this!

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    1. Georgia gals should all make this. First, it's easy. And if you buy the crust, learning to lattice is simple. I start at the middle with the longer (prettier) strips, and work my way out to the edge. That way I never have to "lift" more than two already placed strips as I go. And if it breaks... I just pinch it back together! No worries in Ruthy's kitchen!!!

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