Lattice-Top Peach Pie

I visited my parents over Labor Day. One of the perks that made the six-hour car drive worthwhile was baking with my mom. Although I am pretty good with cakes, pies are a different matter. It is always better if I make those with my mom. But sometimes I have ideas that my mom isn’t keen on – like making a lattice-top for the pie.

On my way back from a dissertation research trip to Michigan in August, I stopped at an amazing fruit stand. Among other steals, I picked up a basket of peaches. I had made a peach pie for my dad once before and planned on doing the same with (most of) these. But since I wouldn’t see him for almost a month, I blanched the peaches, and then peeled and sliced them. Then I tossed them into the freezer.

A bowl of Michigan peaches - blanched, peeled, sliced, frozen, and defrosted.

Three weeks later, I tossed the Ziploc bag into a cooler and drove to Kansas. A day later they were defrosted and ready to become the star of a pie.

Peaches get a close-up.

These peaches were gorgeous.

Cold pie dough.

I then made Cook’s Illustrated pie dough recipe, which involved flour, sugar, salt, butter, shortening, and some ice water. The dough was then divided into two different pieces and put into the freezer for a half hour.

Flattened pid dough.

Before I flattened it. Violently with a rolling pin. If you look closely you will see frozen pieces of butter in the dough. You will also see that my mom’s countertops are a lot nicer than mine. A lot.

Peaches on top of pie crust.

I placed one of the flattened pieces of dough into a pie plate. My mom showed me a “trick” of pushing the dough down into the plate so that it wouldn’t be stretched out. Then the peaches – with some sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and potato starch – went on top of the dough.

Woven lattices on top of peaches.

Then it was time to try to weave long pieces of pie dough together. I didn’t think the directions were spectacular, but I eventually got it. Then I brushed the top with water and some sugar.

Golden brown, out of the oven, and onto the cooling rack.

I then stuck it in the over for about fifty minutes. About halfway through I rotated it. And with about ten minutes to go I put foil on top so that the crust wouldn’t be too dark.

A slice of pie for Dad.

A couple of hours later the pie had cooled and was ready to eat. But only my dad likes peach pie in my family. So he had an entire dessert that no one would fight him for. Until one of my friends came over an ate half of the pie.

But Dad won't eat pie (or most other desserts) without ice cream.

My dad likes ice cream on everything. Especially pie.

I left you a piece.