Delaware City Peach Pie
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| Delaware City Peach Pie |
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| Start with fresh peaches |
I know that when most people think of peaches, they probably think of the Georgia Peach. What many people don't know is that Delaware was the one of the country's leading producers of peaches during the early part of the nineteenth century. Between 1840 and 1880, Delaware City, in particular, was famous for providing most of the East Coast with peaches. The would ship right from Major's Wharf in Delaware City to ports all up and down the coast. Isn't that cool? So in honor of our beautiful little city, I am calling this recipe Delaware City Peach Pie.
A pie is a great "go-to" recipe for when you're
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| Peeled and sliced peaches |
One of the reasons I love this pie so much is that you need practically nothing extra to make it perfect. Just the smallest amount of cinnamon and nutmeg are there to counter the brightness of the peaches and the sweetness of the sugar. Simple and natural ingredients.
I started with about 8 giant fresh peaches. I cut them off of the pit, peeled them, sliced them into a large bowl. Don't worry if they're all exact. Just slice them so they're relatively the same thickness. For this pie, I used about 1/2" slices. Add some fresh lemon juice to the peaches to prevent them from turning brown.
In a separate bowl, I combined sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. I sprinkled that down onto the the peaches, then folded it in, gently so I didn't mash the peaches.
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| Poke bottom crust with a fork |
I rolled out the crust and transferred it into the pie plate. Don't worry about leaving the edges of crust hanging off the plate. We'll take care of them at the end. Note: Do not oil or prepare the pie plate in any way.
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| Transfer peaches and dot with butter |
Roll out the top crust and transfer it to the pie. Fold all the overhanging cedes of crust under, then flute moving in one direction until it is sealed all the way around. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a shape into the top crust. This will allow steam to release, and will also provide a release for the juices that will bubble up. Sprinkle the top with sugar.
Transfer pie to a baking sheet and pop into an oven that has been preheated to 350F. I usually cover my crust for the first 15-20 minutes, then remove the cover and allow it to cook the rest of the way.
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| Add top crust and flute edges |
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| Carve a shape into top crust and sprinkle with sugar |
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| Delaware City Peach Pie |
Allow to bake 350F oven until the crust is golden brown, it smells delicious, and the insides are actively bubbling up through the vents in the pie. It should look something like the photo when done - but not exactly like the photo because every pair of hands creates a different look. Just as no two people are the same, no two pies will come out looking the same and that's a beautiful thing.
Now - if you happen to have been inspired to try this pie, please respond in the comments and let me know how you make out.
Delaware City Peach Pie Recipe
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| Delaware City Peach Pie |
Ingredients
8 large peaches, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons
3 tablespoons butter, cut up
1/2 cup flour + some for dusting surface
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 kosher salt
1 prepared crust
Directions
1. Place peeled and sliced peaches in a large bowl and add
lemon juice, folding gently so as not to break up the
peaches.
2. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon,
nutmeg, and salt.
3. Add dry ingredients to peaches and fold carefully
4. Roll out bottom pie crust. Transfer to pie plate and poke
several times with a fork.
5. Add sweetened peach mixture to bottom crust. Dot with butter.
6. Add top crust, and cut vents into it. Top with the extra 2 tablespoons of sugar
7. Put on baking sheet and then into oven preheated to 350F.
8. Bake 45 minutes to an hour or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling out of the vents.
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