LOUISIANA-STYLE PEACH PIE
From Chef Joseph Carey, In Good Taste Cooking School

Crust
The shortening provides flakiness, while the butter adds flavor.

2 1/3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening, chilled and cut into pieces
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
6 Tbsp ice water

Sift flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the vinegar. Using fork, mix in enough water to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball, and divide the ball into 2 equal portions. Flatten each portion into disk. Wrap each in plastic; chill at least 1 hour.

Filling
5 lbs medium peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine peaches, sugar, flour and spices in large bowl; toss to mix well. Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to an approximate 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch diameter pie pan. Place peaches in crust, mounding in center. Roll second ball of dough into an approximate 11-inch round. Roll up dough on rolling pin and unroll atop peaches. Trim edges of both crusts to 3/4-inch overhang. Fold edges over; press to seal. Crimp edges. Cut 5 or 6 slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.

Covering edges, bake pie until crust is golden and juices bubble thickly through slits, approximately 1 hour. Cool for an hour or so. Serve with vanilla ice cream and strew candied pecans over all.

Candied Pecans
1 lb pecans
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp water
1 egg white

In one bowl mix sugar, cinnamon and salt. In second bowl, add water and egg white. Beat to a froth. Toss pecans with egg whites until coated. Add to sugar mixture and stir until sugar and pecans are completely coated. Spread nuts on buttered baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every few minutes.