Pie of the Month - July

There is just something about pie. A good pie can do wonders for a bad day. I have been making pie for twenty something years, and it truly is one of my favorite desserts to create.

As a young bride, I was determined to master the "art of pie"! It is my husbands favorite dessert, and being an over-the-top-in-love newlywed, I wanted to please my man with pie!

I have tried many pastry recipes over the years, and I have found two that work perfectly for my needs. I have not included them in my pie recipes, because I have found that most people have their own favorite pastry dough recipes. Or they prefer to get their pastry shells at a grocery store. If you are interested in a blog post on pastry dough or even a video demonstration on how I do my pie crusts, let me know in the comment section or through our other social media.

I thought it would be fun to feature a new pie every month (since I tend to make so many of them). As an added bonus, each pie I make continues to please my family (and friends). So without further ado, I present July's pie of the month - peach pie!

Classic Peach Pie

It is late July, and it is officially peach season! Don't you love a good peach dessert? A fresh peach pie screams SUMMER! This classic peach pie is an outstanding way to celebrate summer. The peaches are the stars in this pie, and they sure do shine!

I added just a pinch of cinnamon in order to compliment the beautifully, delicious fruit. The little bit of butter I added also helps to compliment the flavors of the pie. This is a pie you would look for in your grandmother's kitchen, sitting on the kitchen windowsill. The smell of this pie is out of this world! Just make it and smell how amazing it is!

When I put this recipe together, I gathered my ingredients from the old classic cookbooks - like my Betty Crocker cookbook (my 1986 version) and The All New Good Housekeeping Cook Book. I looked at some other more current recipes too, and this is what I created - a classic peach pie. This version of the classic peach pie is very tasty, but please give it a try and let me know what you think of it. Now you can eat this delicious pie by itself or you can add to its goodness with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream. If you have homemade ice cream, that's even better! Your taste buds will rejoice after eating this summer pie!

Ingredients:

Sugar

Flour

Salt

Ground Cinnamon

Sliced fresh peaches (approximately 5 to 6 medium peaches)

Lemon juice

Butter

Pastry for 9 inch- 2 crust pie

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare pastry for a 9 inch- 2 crust pie.

Mix 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour, pinch of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a large bowl. (If you want less sugar in the pie, you can add a 3/4 cup instead of the full cup.) In a medium bowl, toss 5 to 6 cups of sliced peaches with 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

Add the peaches into sugar mixture. Stir gently to combine well.

Turn into pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Cover with top crust. Make sure to cut slits in it (if not already done). Seal and flute the pastry.

Bake until crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust. After about 25 minutes, check your pie for over browning! Cover edge with 2 to 3 inch strip of aluminium foil. I like to do this towards the end of baking rather than the beginning. I feel I have more control of the way it browns. It will need to cook approximately 35 to 45 minutes total. Allow the pie to cool for at least an hour before cutting it.

Pie Tips:

*When you have your peaches sliced, place them in a colander to drain off excess juice.