Charmed Georgia Peach Pie

I have eleven posts to introduce you to Ella Mae LeFaye and the characters of Pies and Prejudice, so I thought I'd make a pie representing the book's setting. Ella Mae has just fled Manhattan (not because NYC was bad, but because her two-timing husband was bad) and has returned home to Havenwood, Georgia.

Havenwood is a beautiful and rather isolated town in the northeast corner of the state. It boasts a gorgeous lake, rolling hills, and a downtown shopping area filled with boutiques, eateries, and coffee shops catering to both locals and tourists alike.

There are also plenty of roadside fruit stands. Havenwood farmers sell their produce at the peak of its season. Among these delicacies is the peach. Sweet, juicy, and a

little tart. That's a fair description of Ella Mae, too!

Enjoy this pie and make sure to leave a comment, because this month's prize is a "Red-Hot" themed collection including a dish towel, small-sized rolling pin, and petite pie mold (see pic). Good luck!

Charmed Georgia Peach Pie

Ingredients

1 Charmed Piecrust (recipe below)

12 fresh, ripe peaches

½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1 large egg, beaten

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (aka sugar in the raw)

Preparation

1. Prepare Charmed Piecrust (recipe below)

2. Peel peaches and cut into slices. Stir together brown sugar, next 2 ingredients, and 1/4 cup flour in a bowl; add peaches, stirring to coat. Immediately spoon peach mixture into piecrust in pie plate, and dot with pieces of butter.

3. Carefully place remaining piecrust over filling; press edges of crusts together to seal. Cut off excess crust and crimp edges of pie. Brush top of pie with beaten egg; sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar and a dusting of cinnamon if desired. Cut 5 slits in top of pie for steam to escape. Or, create a lattice top by cutting dough disk into strips using a fluted pastry wheel. Place on top of filling and follow the egg/sugar/cinnamon finishing touches. Protect edges of crust with foil or pie shield.

4. Freeze pie 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a cookie sheet covered with a sheet of parchment paper in oven 10 minutes. Place pie on hot cookie sheet.

5. Bake at 425° on lower oven rack 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°; bake 40 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent over browning, and bake 25 more minutes or until juices are thick and bubbly (juices will bubble through top but parchment paper will protect your tray). Transfer to a wire rack; cool 2 hours before serving.

Charmed Piecrust Recipe

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (to make the butter cold enough, put in freezer for 15 minutes before use)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

6 to 8 Tablespoons very cold water

DIRECTIONS

1 Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal and you have pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until mixture begins to clump together. Put some dough between your fingers. If it holds together, it's ready. If it falls apart, you need a little more water. You’ll see bits of butter in the dough. This is a good thing, as it will give you a nice, flaky crust.

2 Mound dough and place on a clean surface. Gently shape into 2 discs of equal size. Do not over-knead. Sprinkle a little flour around the discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

3 Remove first crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes or until soft enough to roll. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle (Ella Mae uses a pie mat to help with measurements). Gently transfer into a 9-inch pie plate. Carefully press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the pie dish.

4. Roll out second disk of dough and place on top of the pie filling. Pinch top and bottom of dough firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving about an inch of overhang. Fold the edge of the top piece of dough over and under the edge of the bottom piece of dough, pressing together. Flute edges by pinching with thumb and forefinger. Remember to score the center of the top crust with a few small cuts so that steam can escape.

Charmed Egg Wash

To achieve a golden brown color for your crust, brush the surface with this egg wash before placing pie in oven.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon half and half

1 large egg yolk

*Note – if you’re short on time and decide to use the pre-made piecrusts found in your grocery store’s dairy section, then use the egg wash on the crusts to give them a homemade flavor.