I’ve always fancied myself more a cook than a baker, but I find myself surprised by the confidence I’ve gained from many an hour stirring sweet fruits and sugars until they’ve merged to form the perfect jam. I love fruit. And making jams and jellies has only increased my desire to find other fun ways to bring out the best each fruit has to offer.
Recently, Shauna Ahern of Gluten Free Girl threw out the idea of a pie party. I’ve been enjoying making pies and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to make a pie that really highlighted the great tastes of summer.
Pies are currently my favorite test case into the world of baking. But back to the fact that I don’t consider myself a baker…here’s my confession: I don’t like making my own pie crust. I haven’t perfected the technique and it ends up frustrating me. So, there. I use Trader Joe’s frozen pre-made pie crust dough. I consider this a step up from buying the crust that’s already in the pan. At least I have to press it down into the pan and then top the pie with another square, right?
Now onto more important decisions….like what type of fruit I should use? I settled on peaches and blueberries – the perfect taste of summer. I modeled this recipe off of a similar recipe by Tyler Florence.
Peach Blueberry Pie
makes enough for 1 9-inch pie and 2-3 jar pies
2 pre-made pie dough squares
2 pounds peaches, pitted and sliced
1 pint blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon of water
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Use one of the pre-made pie dough squares to press down into a 9-inch pie pan. Press the dough over the bottom and sides of the pan. Trim the edges to about 1/2-inch.
Toss the fruit with the sugar, lemon, and cornstarch. Pile the fruit into the pie shell and dot with the butter. Lay the second square of pie dough over the fruit. Trim, and crimp the edges. Cut vents in the top of the pie and brush with the egg wash. Put the pie on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling up through the vents, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving.
A few notes:
- The egg wash you choose will partially determine the final look of your pie. The egg and water combination gives the pie a shiny, golden-brown look. Check out The Pie Maven for alternate options.
- There should be enough fruit mixture left over to make 2-3 jar pies. For instructions see this post.
- To include kids in this great baking project, have kids measure out the ingredients and carefully toss the pie ingredients together. They can also brush the egg wash onto the pie.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I think you may have given me confidence to try making a pie again! I love pie, but same as you, I hate making the crust.
Lanae – I only reently gained pie-confidence as well. And you know what? This is a super easy starter pie (as long as you get the pre-made crust!).