We are very particular about peach pie. It can be too brown-sugary, too almondy, too cinnamony, or just too obvious and unremarkable. This pie changes everything! Using white sugar and a little lemon juice lets its true peachy flavor shine. There are no spices, just honest peaches and one surprise ingredient (well, not a surprise to you because it’s in the title)…fresh basil! We highly recommend having some vanilla ice cream on hand.
And don’t forget to check out these local farms to pick-your-own peaches.
Ingredients:
Crust:
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 8 Tbsp. cold nonhydrogenated margarine
• 8 Tbsp. cold nonhydrogenated shortening
• 6 Tbsp. ice water
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Filling:
• 6 cups sliced, peeled peaches
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 8 average-size fresh basil leaves, snipped into small pieces
• 1/8 tsp. salt
Directions:
For the crust:
1. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour and salt. Mix in the sugar. Add half the margarine and shortening by half tablespoonfuls, cutting it into the flour with your fingers or a pastry cutter, until the flour appears pebbly. Add remaining margarine and shortening, and cut it into the flour.
2. In a cup, mix together 4 tablespoons of the ice water with the apple cider vinegar. Drizzle the water and vinegar mixture into the flour by the tablespoonful, gently mixing it after each addition. Knead the dough a few times, adding more water until it holds together. You may only need the 4 tablespoons, but add up to 2 more tablespoons if needed.
3. Divide the dough in two, roll each half into a ball, then press them into disks and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate them until ready to use.
4. Just before filling, lightly flour a pastry board and a rolling pin and unwrap the dough, rolling each disk out to an even thickness of about 1/8-inch and 12 inches in diameter.
5. Lightly butter a 9-inch pie dish and lift one of the two rolled out crusts onto the dish making sure it’s centered. Pierce the dough in several places with a fork.
For the filling:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Combine all the filling ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, then transfer them to the prepared, unbaked pie shell.
2. Cut out 4 leaf shapes from the rolled-out top crust to let the steam escape and top the pie with the second crust. Pinch the edges together, then trim the excess dough to about an inch and crimp the edges together.
3. Bake for about 25 minutes. Lower the heat to 350°F and slip on a pie crust shield (optional). Bake for an additional 30 minutes. Filling should be bubbling and the crust should be golden. Place the pie on a cooling rack and let cool for about half an hour before serving.
Makes one 9-inch pie
From Vegan Pie In The Sky by