Peachberry Pie

Set oven to 450ºF. Roll out 1 pie crust and lay on the pie pan (you can also use a store-bought crust that’s already in a pan).

Peel peaches. This is the part that takes the longest but it really isn’t all that complicated. I first learned how to concasse (peel) a tomato in Culinary 101 and I had a sneaky suspicion that the same technique would work for peaches. I was right.

To peel the peaches, put a big pot of water on the stove and get it boiling. Have a bowl of ice water ready, too. Then cut a small ‘X’ in the bottom of the peaches and drop them 3 or 4 at a time into the boiling water. Leave them in the water for 2 or 3 minutes, then fish them out and drop them in the ice water. Use a small paring knife to help you pull the skins right off. Here’s a tip: The riper your peaches are, the less time they need in the water.

Once all the skins are off, slice them and toss in a big bowl with the blueberries, lemon zest and juice, and all the dry ingredients.

Mix together and tumble into the pie crust. Set aside. Roll out the remaining crust and cut it into about ½-inch strips; you will need about 8 to 10 strips to cover the pie.

Now let’s make that lattice. First use the egg to make a wash and brush the edges of the pie to help the strips stick. Place 6 strips across the pie. Pull down every other strip and place the new strip across the pie, then put the strips back in place.

Pull down the other 3 strips and place the next new strip across the pie. Continue to do this till you have 4 strips going across the pie. (I hope I explained the clearly enough. It’s really very simple, just take a look at the pictures in the blog post for a better idea.) Once all your pie strips are in place, use a fork dipped in the egg wash to secure the crust, then take a knife to cut off any excess dough. Finally, brush the top of pie dough with the egg wash.

Pop the peachberry pie in the 400ºF oven for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 350ºF and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes till the crust is brown and the filling is hot and bubbly.