Peach Pie Heaven

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!  I don't know if you know Deb over at Smitten Kitchen, but she is getting me into lots and lots of trouble. I'd invite you to go visit her blog and order her cookbook as soon as it comes out, but then you'd hate me because you would somehow, inexplicably gain about a hundred pounds.  Instantly.  


My picture doesn't do the pie justice.  Go look at her pics, it will give you a better idea of this genius.


I followed her peach pie recipe, except I made a couple of mistakes. And, even with those mistakes, I'm pretty sure I have died and gone to heaven.  I don't really think I am still here on this earth at all. You could pinch me, just so I'd know, if you would be so kind . . .


You see, I didn't think the peaches I got at the farmer's market Sunday morning were quite ripe so I didn't work on my pie on Sunday, which would have been a much better day for me to attempt any kind of shenanigans in the kitchen.  No, no, I, in my infinite wisdom, thought I should put the peaches in a paper bag and wait a couple of days.


Well, as soon as I got home from work Monday, I discovered the peaches were NOT going to wait any longer to throw themselves into the pie pan or they would end up marching straight into the trash. So, I began peeling and pitting and cutting into pieces.  I mixed the pie dough.  I threw the dry ingredients/seasonings for the filling together and promptly ran out of steam.
  
I realized I was not going to want to stay up until 2 in the morning rolling out the dough, baking the pie and then waiting for it to cool a couple of hours before I tossed it in the fridge.


So, I coated the peaches with the lemon juice the recipe called for and put it all away until I got home Tuesday night.  I raced home and pulled everything out of the fridge and started rolling out the dough.  I gently settled the bottom crust into my new white ruffled ceramic pie pan.   Then I turned my attention to the peaches, there was quite a bit of liquid at the bottom and I wavered.  Do I include all the tasty juices or drain them off a bit? . . .  I went with using every last drop of that liquid gold.  It just looked too delicious to waste.  (Might be the first mistake . . .  I think sitting a day after I cut them up caused way too much liquid to drain out.  Had I finished it the same day, I don't think I would have had that issue.) I stirred the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and tapioca starch into the peaches and slipped them into the pan.  I rolled out the top crust and then used my pie dough leaf cutout to make a "faux" lattice like top and plopped it on my pie and crimped the edges a bit and then sprinkled a little sugar over the top and tossed it into the oven.


In my haste to be able to bite into some scrumptious peach pie I missed the part of her instructions that tell you to turn the heat down after 20 mins!  (Ooops . . . my 2nd mistake!)  I was just wayyyyyy too impatient to try to get it ready for a taste test ASAP! I checked on it after about 40-45 mins and the crust was getting overdone already, so I took it out and it looked pretty liquidy, but I was still hoping the tapioca starch and cooling process would work their magic and thicken it up a bit.  And, it did, but there was just a smidge too much liquid even after all that.  (Not complaining, it is delish!  :)


By, the time it had cooled, it was quite late, and I didn't want to cut into it until I had taken a picture of it for posterity!  See, I do think about y'all!  ;)  So, I popped it into the fridge and went to bed. Then I raced home tonight to finally get my reward.  I even forgot to stop to run a couple of very important errands I was supposed to take care of tonight.  (I hope I still have a couple of friends left . . . :)  I did, however, manage to refrain just long enough to snap just a couple pics.

But, I'm afraid it was worth letting my friends down a bit.  Oh, my goodness, holy-moly guacamole, I S.W.E.A.R. the heavens opened up and the angels began to sing.  Good golly, miss Molly that pie was soooooo very tasty I licked the knife, the spoon (used to scoop up the extra juice!  - it was sooooo good!), the fork, the plate and then went in for seconds.  New knife, new fork, new spoon . . . . all also licked clean . . . ahhhhhhhhhh!  I know I should share it, but . . well, it's THAT good.  It is mine, all mine!  (Ok, full disclosure . . . I am going to take a couple of pieces to above mentioned friends as a peace offering for not taking care of business as I should have tonight . . .) But, that's it.  The rest is mine, all mine!  Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha . . . 


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:(    Oh, my . . . I think I am a full-fledged addict now.  I am fighting going in there and devouring the whole rest of the pie even though I am totally full.  (Note to self . . . must get padlock for fridge . . . oh, and . . . ermmmm . . . perhaps not tell everyone so publicly what a little piggy I can be . . .)


Got peaches?  Make this pie!  But, if you start having uncontrollable cravings for more and more and more . . . don't blame me!  It's all Deb's fault . . .  (Deb . . . are you listening? :)