Each July, I hope that someone passing through Campbell, Missouri, or heading over to Eckert’s will bring me peaches from those wonderful orchards. So far no luck.

Sticky Elbows!

Imagine my surprise when Cyndy showed up this week with a box of peaches from Peach Tree Farm in Columbia. They were gorgeous! You know you’re onto some mighty fine fruit, when you take a bite and the juice rolls down your arms to your elbows. Yep, I now have sticky elbows.

From Orchard to Oven

Recently, I came upon this peach pie recipe with a lattice top. I always make a lattice top for a peach pie. If not, it might get mistaken for apple or gooseberry. 🙂 When you see the juicy, sweet fruit poking through the lattice, you know you’re in for a summertime treat.

Typically, a peach pie is flavored with a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon. But this much-touted recipe from cookbook writer and pastry chef Zoe Francois (zoebakes.com) gets its kick from a 1/4 cup of booze!  Zoe’s creation has caused quite a stir on the Instagram feeds. 

What’s more, Sarah Carey, who runs Martha Stewart’s test kitchen called it “one of the best pies I’ve ever made!”

Hmm. . . that deserves a closer look.

Cooking and Tasting Outcome

In the interest of full disclosure, I have not made this pie, yet, but Cyndy did and she also took the photos. So I quizzed my “Home Kitchen Researcher:”

Me: Did the bourbon overwhelm the taste?

Cyndy: The pie had a deep, rich flavor, but it didn’t have a detectable bourbon taste at all.

Me:  Hmm. . . you did put the bourbon in the pie? 🙂 (Just kidding. Couldn’t resist a little kitchen humor). Did you make any changes in the recipe?

Cyndy: I distinctly remember putting the bourbon in the pie. I followed the recipe exactly, except for using brown sugar instead of raw.

Me: How did it compare with other peach pies you’ve made?

Cyndy: It was better than any peach pie I’ve made. No runny juices or soggy crust. Good flavor without being too sweet. And it sliced perfectly clean. You could pick up a piece by hand and eat it.

Me: Would you make it again?

Cyndy: This was a really, really good pie! Definitely, a keeper! And Joe agreed. 

Peach Pie

Ingredients:

• Prepared pie pastry or favorite recipe
• 8 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced 
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1/4 cup whiskey, bourbon or rum (or 2 Tbs. lemon juice)
• Pinch salt
• 4-5 Tbs. cornstarch
• egg wash

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Put the peaches, sugar, whiskey, and salt in a big bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes, but longer is better. This releases the juices from the peaches. Strain the peaches and mix the juices with the cornstarch. In a saucepan, cooking the cornstarch mixture until it is thick and translucent. Add the thickened juices back to the peaches in a large bowl.

Roll out the pie dough and put it in a 9″ pie dish. Fill with peaches and create the lattice top. 

Brush top of pie with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake on a baking sheet (in case the juices run over). Cool completely before slicing.

To freeze the pie, place in freezer until completely chilled, then wrap well in plastic, and return to freezer. When ready to bake, place frozen pie in 425-degree oven, don’t defrost. It will just take much longer to bake and you will probably need to tent the crust.

After 30 minutes, drop the temperature to 350 and continue baking until the filling is bubbling and clear. This can take anywhere from 45 additional minutes to 1 1/2 hours (if frozen) and you may need to tent the edge of the pie if it starts to brown before the middle is done.

Cyndy’s Kitchen Notes: I used a Pillsbury roll out pie crust for the bottom and lattice. I marinated the peaches, sugar, whiskey, and salt for longer than the 30 minutes called for—closer to an hour. When thickening the juice and cornstarch, be sure to use a whisk rather than a spoon to avoid lumping. I used brown sugar rather than raw, but white would work, too. America’s Test Kitchen ranked Pillsbury roll out crust their favorite store-bought dough. We agree.