Georgia Peach Pie

Some neighbors invited us over to play Rook on Sunday night.  We didn't want to leave 9 year-old Ryan home alone so he went along and ended up beating all the adults soundly (including Joe, who has been playing this game since his childhood).  It was a very fun evening.  Since I had a case of peaches from the produce co-op I made a pie to take along, and I guess it was good because the 5 people at the table devoured every last crumb of pastry and drop of peach juice.

For this outing I tried a recipe from the delightful road trip book American Pie, Slices of Life (and Pie) from America's Back Roads by Pascale Le Draoulec  

The recipe in the book does not call for a top crust, but I couldn't resist a lattice top on mine.  It's a little bit different method than I've used for peach pie before, but doesn't take much extra time and the result is a bright and pretty filling.  Give it a try - this recipe is a definite winner! (I am writing this as I made it, slightly different than the way it's written in the book.)

Georgia Peach Pie

1 9 inch pie crust

6 fresh ripe peaches, peeled and sliced

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon almond extract (I was out of almond, so used Mexican vanilla)

1 Tablespoon butter

• Sprinkle peaches with lemon juice and sugar.  Let stand for 1 hour.  Drain the accumulated juices (about 1 cup) into a small saucepan, and boil the liquid until syrupy and slightly caramelized.  Meanwhile, transfer peaches to a bowl and toss them with the cornstarch, salt and almond extract.
• Pour syrup over peaches, tossing gently.  Arrange peach mixture in pie crust and dot with butter.  Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 25 minutes, or until top starts to brown slightly.