Peaches and Cream Pie

Peaches and Cream Pie, may not be the prettiest pie, but it makes up for it with it’s fresh creamy taste.  A crust similar to a crisp and a filling that will surprise with fresh peaches and a touch of cardamon. 

Spring comes slowly with only strawberries to tempt us, and then everything gets ripe at the same time. I would much rather savor each fruit for a month and then move on to something but, but by the middle of June in NC, we have blueberries, peaches, blackberries and melons.  How do you choose. After two weeks of eating out and not cooking at all, I decided to go with just one fruit and make that the theme for the weekend. I chose peaches and started with dessert, An ugly but delicious peaches and cream pie.

When searching for new recipes to try, I’m always looking for something a little different.  It’s not that peach cobbler, crisps and pies aren’t fantastic, but I like to find a different take on the traditional desserts.  This is the first recipe I have tried from this cookbook and I have to say, the photo of their finished product looked much prettier than mine.  However, that won’t keep this from making my list of pies’ you have to try, because as I have mentioned before, sometimes the uglier the end product, the better it is.

The crust is actually a crisp topping that you spread into the bottom of a pie pan.  I worked hard at trying to make this even, but it doesn’t matter if it has some gaps, just try to get it as thin as possible, otherwise it’s hard to break through with a fork.  Still delicious, but you could loose a piece, and trust me, you won’t want to miss out on a single bite. When you take the crust out of the oven, use a towel to even it out while it’s still hot.

The filling is very simple but with a hint of something different that makes it better than just a vanilla custard. It’s a small amount of cardamon and allspice.  Not overpowering but subtle and just perfect with fresh peaches.  It’s fairly thin and the perfect ending to a summer meal.

Everyone loved everything about this dessert and even though it wasn’t very photogenic, it made up for it in flavor.

The Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book

Peaches and Cream Pie

Peaches and Cream Pie, may not be the prettiest pie, but it makes up for it with it’s fresh creamy taste.  A crust similar to a crisp and a filling that will surprise with fresh peaches and a touch of cardamon. 

• Author: Barbara Curry
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x
• Category: Dessert

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 cups peaches, Peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• CRUST
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup oats
• ⅓ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon allspice
• ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temp cut into 1 inch pieces

Instructions

1. Crust: Stir together all ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Add butter and rub into dry ingredients with your fingers until incorporated.
2. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased pie pan. Freeze until solid, about 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350º. Bake for 18-20 minutes. If it slumps or cracks while baking, gently push the crumble back into place, while hot, with a kitchen towel. Cool before filling.
3. Filling: Slice peeled peaches into 1 inch slices. Sprinkle with lemon juice and granulated sugar.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar and cream cheese and blend until smooth. Mix in the sour cream, allspice, and salt and then stir in the egg.
5. Pour a thin layer of the custard into the prepared crust. Starting from the center, arrange the peach slices in a a spiral pattern. Pour the remaining custard over the top.
6. Bake at 325º for 35-40 minutes, rotating after about 25 minutes. The pie is finished when the outer two inches are set but the center still wobbles slightly. Be careful not to over bake or the custard can separate. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack for about an hour. Serve at room temperature or cool.