Today is the first official day of summer! I don't know where you live, but here in central Texas it has already felt like summer for about a month now. While I do get tired of the heat come August, I honestly love summer and all the things around it: sunshine, swimming, being outside, ice cream, and all the fresh produce in season (tomatoes, peaches, and corn - to name a few of my favorites!). I guess I'm also kind of like a lizard too because my body and skin were made for the sun.
There is something rustic and old fashioned about making a pie from scratch. I don't know why, but I often picture that scene in Tuck Everlasting, when Mae Tuck (Sissy Spacek) is making a cherry pie from scratch, and pitting the cherries one by one, talking about how they embrace slow living. I always liked that scene. If you haven't seen that movie, you should! It's cute.
Another reason I probably enjoy making pies is because it's like playing with play dough. You get to use your hands, shape, roll, and cut out pieces from the pie dough. It's so much fun! I also love that making pies doesn't require any equipment - it's all hands on (although, I have recently started using my food processor to make my pie dough and it's a lot easier imo). Peach pie is a defining summer food here in Texas, as we have really, really good plump and sweet peaches. Peach season probably isn't for another month or so, but here is the recipe ready so when it does come, you can whip up your summer pie fast.
The addition of fresh ginger is something I grabbed from Alison Roman in Dining In. Ginger and peaches are the perfect match, as the spicy ginger offsets the sweetness of the peaches, which are enhanced even more with sugar and honey here. The ginger bakes out a lot and becomes really soft, so you won't even notice it's there! Of course, I served this with a scoop or two of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla, and I suggest you do the same, if you can swing it!
Ginger Peach Pie
makes one 9-inch pie
Ingredients
- 2 discs pie dough, I love making this recipe but with my food processor
- 5 cups sliced peaches, skin on (5-7 peaches)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tbl corn starch
- 2 tbl lemon juice
- 1 heaping tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 egg, beaten
- Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll out one of the pie dough discs and press into a 9-inch pie pan.
In a large bowl, toss together the peaches, honey, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and ginger. Pour into the prepared pie pan.
Brush the egg wash on the edges of the bottom pie dough (this will make it easier for the top crust to stick to it).
Cut 2 inch strips out of the other pie disc, and arrange in a lattice pattern on top of the peaches. Here's a great tutorial on how to do a lattice pattern!
Press down the top dough onto the top of the egg washed bottom crust, and then trim the excess pie dough from the edges. Brush the top with the rest of the egg wash, and then sprinkle with turibinado sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven for 60 - 75 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Let cool for about 4 hours before slicing into and serving!
