Gratuitous Nerdity

Summertime is here and with that comes sipping on sweet tea, dangling feet into the cool water, and munching on watermelon. And nothing, I mean nothing compares to eating a warm bowl of delicious homemade peach cobbler with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

I’ve experimented with several recipes this summer to try and get the perfect combination down. There are so many different preferences for pastry: biscuit top, self-rising flour, strudel, and traditional latticework butter pastry. Feel free to try different types of crust and toppings to suit your tastes. That’s the fun of baking pies and cobblers! My personal favorite is a butter pastry crust and you can find tried and true recipe here!

Ingredients

• 1 double crust recipe or store bought from the freezer section
• 2 lbs (about 6-7 cups) fresh peeled, sliced peaches (or frozen, fully defrosted)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon + 1 tablespoon sugar mixed together

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Divide pie dough into two equal balls.
3. Roll out the first ball into a 12-inch circle and gently place into a 9-inch pie plate.
4. Roll the second ball into a 12-inch circle or square and cut approximately 8-12 strips long enough to reach both sides of the pie plate. Refrigerate both the strips and pie plate until ready to use.
5. In a large bowl, combine peaches and sugar until thoroughly coated.
6. Add butter, vanilla, and lemon juice. Stir until evenly combined. Cover and set aside at room temperature until mixture looks syrupy. You may also store in the refrigerator overnight. (If butter solidifies due to the cold peaches, don’t worry – it will melt when put into the oven.)
7. Remove pie crusts from the refrigerator. Using a pastry brush, evenly coat the crust in the pie plate with a light coating of egg whites (this will help prevent sogginess from the filling). Sprinkle the bottom and sides of the bottom crust with cinnamon and sugar, using fingers or pastry brush to evenly distribute and press gently into the dough.
8. Using a slotted spoon to allow excess syrup to run off, scoop peaches into the pie plate evenly.
9. Using the strips, create a latticework top to the pie. Be sure to seal the edges by crimping or fluting all the way around.
10. Brush with egg whites and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Feel free to get creative and add pie art.
11. Bake for 30 minutes. Be sure to place an additional baking sheet or sheet of foil on the bottom of the oven in case the filling bubbles out. Otherwise, you’ll have a fun mess to clean up later.
12. Remove pie and cover with foil, reduce heat to 350 F, and bake for 25 minutes or until crusts are crispy and golden and the filling has thickened.
13. Remove from oven and take off foil. Let cool until warm enough to eat.
14. Serve with vanilla ice cream! ENJOY!