PERFECT PEACH PIE
From Ellen Jackson

When it comes to dessert, I’m a card-carrying member of the pie camp. (The other camp, of course, is peopled by cake-eaters.) True, cake has a tireless association with celebrations (weddings, birthdays, retirement parties, graduations) but to underestimate the power of pie to honor life’s finest moments is to do it a grave injustice.

My preference for the humble pie—over cake—to commemorate special occasions is inherited from my grandmother, who marked every last one of her August 31st birthdays with a peach pie, baked by my mother. For me, peach pie will always be the essence of a summer fête, gift-wrapped in flaky pastry.

Flaky pastry for a double-crust, 9-inch pie
1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water
3 lbs ripe, firm peaches
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Dash vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 Tbsp cornstarch or quick-cooking tapioca
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Large pinch salt
2 Tbsp butter

Roll one-half of the pastry out and use it to line a pie plate leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Cover it lightly with plastic wrap and chill the bottom crust while you prepare the fruit. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Peel, halve and pit the peaches. Slice each half into 3/4-inch thick slices and place them in a medium-sized mixing bowl. You should have about 6 cups of sliced peaches. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon over them, and a dash of vanilla.

Toss the sugars with the cornstarch or tapioca, spices and salt and sprinkle evenly over the peaches. Gently stir to combine. Moisture-proof the bottom crust with the egg glaze and slightly mound the fruit in the center. Dot the peach slices with little pieces of the butter.

Roll the other half of the pastry out to make the top crust. Brush the 1/2-inch overhang with the egg glaze and fit the top crust over the fruit. Leave a 3/4-inch overhang and trim away the rest. Fold the top edge under the bottom crust overhang and pinch together to seal. Flute as desired, cut vent holes and brush with the remaining egg glaze. Sprinkle with sugar.

Set the pie in the lower third of the preheated oven and bake 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350, raise the pie to the center of the oven and continue baking 35-45 more minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. Cover the crust with foil strips if it browns too quickly.

Cool on a rack and wait several hours until serving—if you can.