Nectarine Blueberry Pie
Nectarines are an excellent pie fruit. They are easy to prep (no peeling required), they have a delicious, unique flavor, and when you mix them with blueberries, the resulting color is an elegant reddish purple with a flavor to match.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Serves 8 to 10
All-Butter Crust for a 9-inch double-crust pie (see here)
1 pound nectarines, sliced (3 cups)
2 to 3 cups blueberries
Pinch finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch ground cloves
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Dash Angostura bitters
Egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water and a pinch of salt)
Demerara sugar, for finishing
If blueberries are not available, raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries are excellent paired with nectarines as well.
Have ready and refrigerated one pastry-lined 9-inch pie pan and pastry round or lattice to top (see here and here).
Combine the fruit, lemon zest and juice, allspice, cloves, salt, and bitters in a large bowl and stir well. Pour the filling into the refrigerated pie shell, arrange the lattice or pastry round on top, and crimp as desired (see here and here).
Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to set the pastry. Meanwhile, position the oven racks in the bottom and center positions, place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack, and preheat the oven to 425°F.
Brush the pastry with the egg wash to coat; if your pie has a lattice top, be careful not to drag the filling onto the pastry (it will burn). Sprinkle with the desired amount of demerara sugar.
Place the pie on the rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is set and beginning to brown. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F, move the pie to the center oven rack, and continue to bake until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling throughout, 30 to 35 minutes longer.
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
The pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temperature for 2 days.
Paprika Peach Pie
Paprika is typically used in savory dishes, but we were inspired to combine it with peaches after a close friend of the pie shop, Jill Mercedes, shared her unforgettable specialty dessert with us one evening after a long day of baking. Claiming to “not be a baker” (after one bite of her recipe, we had to disagree), Jill presented us with a rustic tart, with still warm oven-roasted peaches and a bit of cornmeal, and most important, finished with a sprinkling of paprika. The spice adds a sweet warmth to the peaches and enhances their lovely golden color.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Serves 8 to 10
All-Butter Crust for a 9-inch double-crust pie (see here)
2½ pounds peaches (enough for about 5 cups sliced)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
⅔ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons potato starch
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 to 2 dashes Old Fashion bitters
Egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water and a pinch of salt)
Demerara sugar, for finishing
There are a variety of paprikas on the market: spicy or mild, sweet or smoky. We tested quite a few for this recipe and found that a good sweet paprika pairs the best, but feel free to try out different varieties.
Have ready and refrigerated one pastry-lined 9-inch pie pan and pastry round or lattice to top (see here and here).
Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Score an X into the bottom of each peach, and then drop it into the simmering water for 30 to 60 seconds. Remove and immediately drop into the ice water. When the fruit has cooled slightly, the skin should slip off easily when scraped with the back of a knife.
Slice the peeled peaches into ½-inch slices, add to a large bowl, and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Add the granulated and brown sugars, potato starch, paprika, white pepper, allspice, ginger, salt, and bitters and toss well to combine. Spoon the filling into the refrigerated pie shell, leaving behind excess juices. Arrange the lattice or pastry round on top, and crimp as desired (see here and here).
Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to set the pastry. Meanwhile, position the oven racks in the bottom and center positions, place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack, and preheat the oven to 425°F.
Brush the pastry with the egg wash to coat; if your pie has a lattice top, be careful not to drag the filling onto the pastry (it will burn). Sprinkle with the desired amount of demerara sugar.
Place the pie on the rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is set and beginning to brown. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F, move the pie to the center oven rack, and continue to bake until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling throughout, 30 to 35 minutes longer.
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
The pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temperature for 2 days.
Peaches & Cream Pie
The crust for this peach pie is made from our crumble topping recipe—just press it into the pan as you would any crumb crust. The cream is a combination of cream cheese, sour cream, and spices. Use perfectly ripe peaches for the best result.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Serves 8 to 10
Oat Crumble Crust for a 9-inch pie, prebaked (see here)
1 pound fresh peaches (enough for 2 cups sliced)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
This recipe is equally delicious with any ripe summer fruit: plums, nectarines, or berries are great choices.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the prebaked pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Score an X into the bottom of each peach, and then drop it into the simmering water for 30 to 60 seconds. Remove and immediately drop into the ice water. When the fruit has cooled slightly, the skin should slip off easily when scraped with the back of a knife.
Slice the peeled peaches into 1-inch slices, add to a large bowl, and sprinkle with the lemon juice and granulated sugar.
In a medium 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.
Pour a thin layer of the custard into the prepared oat crust. Starting from the center, arrange the peach slices in a spiral pattern. Pour the remaining custard over the top.
Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating 180 degrees when the edges start to set, about 25 minutes through baking. The pie is finished when the outer 2 inches are set but the center still wobbles slightly. Be careful not to overbake or the custard can separate; the filling will continue to cook and set after the pie is removed from the oven. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Serve at room temperature or cool.
The pie will keep refrigerated for 2 days or at room temperature for 1 day.