Peach Pie, Oh My My!

As we all know, today is Mothers' Day.  Hubby's mom asked that we not buy her anything but instead just spend time together.  What better way to spend time together than with a meal?  My mother-in-law LOVES birds (she is an avid birdwatcher) so I bought a cute hummingbird cookie cutter with the intention of making cutely frosted cookies for dessert.  But fate had other plans.  As hubby and I were running some errands yesterday, we passed by a roadside stand selling Ruston peaches.  Ruston is a town not too far from mine that is known for its peaches and strawberries.  They are the best you will ever have; it's the only food I'll buy from the side of the road.  Because the peaches were small, hubby suggested I make a pie.  Bye bye hummingbird cookies, hello peach pie!

 (Jumbo lemons and the two peaches too bruised to sustain a peeling)

I wasn't sure how I felt about peach pie when hubby suggested it.  I have nothing against pie, but I'm not about to marry it.  Amusingly, hubby and I took a New Years trip to Natchez, MS where I happened to buy a cookbook of pies, Mrs. Rowe's Little Book of Southern Pies.  I pulled it out and just happened to open up to the peach pie recipe, I kid you not. 

 (I even got to put the hummingbird cookie cutter into use! I'm also very proud of my flaky crust)

I was worried the pie might be goopy, like so many fruit pies are, but this was pie was seriously perfect.  So perfect and delicious that even though I commented to multiple people after peeling and slicing the peaches that I would never do such a task again, I would definitely do it again for this pie.   

Fresh Peach Pie
(Mrs. Rowe's Little Book of Southern Pies, page 38)

• 1 pie crust - enough for a double crust pie
• 5 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches 1
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425F.  Line a 9-inch pie plate with 1 rolled out crust.

Put the peaches in a bowl, add the lemon juice, and gently stir to coat.  Separately, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mix thoroughly, then add to the peaches.  Gently stir to coat the peaches, then spoon the filling evenly into the crust.

Brush the rim of the crust with water, cover with the second rolled-out crust, seal and crimp the edges, and cut a few steam vents in the top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from the oven, brush with the melted butter, and cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before slicing.  Serve at room temperature or slightly warm.

Great with homemade vanilla ice cream!