Fresh Peach Cream Pie

This old-fashioned fresh peach cream pie is lighter than a custard pie but still rich and sweet enough to be a delightful dessert. Make it with fresh peaches, if you have them and canned or frozen peaches if you don’t.

Not long after my maternal grandmother died back in 2001, my great aunt Joy asked my grandfather for her sister’s recipe file. It was a small metal file box with a bunch of index cards, many handwritten or typed out by my grandmother or other family members. The sisters had always had a small rivalry going over their cooking and baking prowess so the rest of us were pretty upset that he’d handed it over. 

I knew I couldn’t flat out ask Aunt Joy for it back but I finally got up the nerve and asked if I could borrow it for a while, just to look through. Well, wouldn’t you know it, but the file box was nowhere to be found! 

Until finally, a few years ago, Aunt Joy’s daughter sent me a message to say she had something for me. I assumed it was her mom's pepper sauce but was even more pleasantly surprised that it was the long-lost recipe box. I just about burst into tears!

This fresh peach cream pie recipe was on one of those cards. It’s a treasure. 

Fresh Peach Cream Pie

Many older recipe call for scalded milk, as this one does. All that means is milk that has been heated to just below the boiling point. For more information on that, I highly recommend this informative post from my friend, pastry chef Jenni Field wherein she gives you the how and why of scalded milk.

Ingredients

For the filling:

1 1/2 cups or 355ml milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup or 50g sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 fresh peaches (approx. weight 1 lb 3.5 oz or 550g)

1 pie crust from this recipe or your own favorite (ingredients needed for mine below)

For the pie crust:

1 1/4 cups or 156g all-purpose flour  

1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons or a little shy of 70g shortening (I prefer Crisco, when I can get it.)

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 

2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Method

Scald the milk and set it aside to cool. Instructions here: https://pastrychefonline.com/how-to-scald-milk/

Preheat oven to 375°F or 190°C. Make the pie crust by following these instructions or your own favorite.

Roll out the pie crust and fit it into a pie plate. Crimp the edges and dock the bottom and sides with a fork. 

Bake the pie crust in the preheated oven for five minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. 

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg together. 

The scalded milk should be just slightly warm by now. Pour it into the egg mixture slowly, whisking continuously as you do. 

Peel, pit and slice the peaches. 

Arrange them to cover the sides and bottom of the pie crust. 

At this point, I put the pie in a large pan to make transfer to the oven less fraught with the possibility of spillage. Pour the milk mixture over the peaches. 

Carefully transfer the pie to the oven. 

Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the custard is just set (a knife will come out clean) and the pie crust is golden. My oven heats unevenly so I turn the pie around midway through. 

Leave to cool completely on a wire rack. 

Cut in slices to serve. Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes for Mother’s Day! Check out all the links below. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm.

• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Brownie Bottomed Raspberry Cheesecake
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Molettes de Jamon y Frijole
• Food Lust People Love: Fresh Peach Cream Pie
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Oil-Cured Fromage Blanc-Stuffed Nasturtium Leaves
• Sneha’s Recipe: Churros French Toast
• Palatable Pastime: Spinach and Feta Salad with Summer Fruits
• Making Miracles: Apple Cinnamon Rolls

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin this Fresh Peach Cream Pie!

 .

Sweet Buttermilk Pie #BakingBloggers

Sweet buttermilk pie is a traditional southern dessert with a creamy tart filling, topped with a generous helping of snowy white whipped cream. Add a little fruit too, if you like.

This month my fellow Baking Bloggers are sharing recipes that remind us of snow, you know, the bright white kind that everyone loves until it turns wet and mushy and grey. I almost didn’t participate because I’ve been so busy, but then I remembered this wonderful sweet buttermilk pie, just hanging around in my folders, waiting for a chance to be shared.

You could, of course, serve the pie without whipped cream but why? Everything is better with whipped cream on top!

Sweet Buttermilk Pie

This is one of my mother’s favorite desserts. It’s not just a southern tradition but a southern favorite as well. Best of all it’s easy to make. Mix all the ingredients in one bowl and pour it into your pie crust to bake. I made my own pie crust from this recipe (stop before baking blind) but if you have to use a store-bought one this time of year, no worries.

Ingredients
1 unbaked 10-inch basic piecrust shell
1/2 cup or 113g unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups or 300g granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3 rounded tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups or 355ml buttermilk

To serve:
Whipped cream
Fresh fruit like raspberries, blueberries or even sliced peaches

Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.

 In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and butter and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs in one at a time, beating well in between. Beat in flour, lemon zest and vanilla. Stir in the buttermilk with the beaters on very low.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Grate on a little nutmeg or sprinkle on powdered nutmeg very lightly.

 Bake until the top is lightly browned and the center is just starting to set , about 40-45 minutes. It should be just the slightest bit jiggly. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. The filling with set completely as it cools.

Slice the pie into individual servings. Garnish with a small mountain of whipped cream on each piece and a few berries for a pop of color.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to this month’s host, Sue of Palatable Pastime and her group co-organizer, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Between them they keep this group ticking along smoothly and I am grateful. Check out all the other snow-white recipes my Baking Blogger friends are sharing today:

• Billowy Gingerbread Trifles from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Christmas Cookie Tree from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Eggless Nankhatai from Sneha's Recipe
• Grandma's Meringue Cookies from Our Good Life
• Kourabiedes Greek Cookies With Powdered Sugar from Recipe Pocket
• Mexican Wedding Cookies from The Schizo Chef
• Snow Ball Cupcakes from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Snowflake Cupcakes from Palatable Pastime
• Snowy Mountain Cookies from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Sweet Buttermilk Pie from Food Lust People Love
• White Texas Sheet Cake from Making Miracles
• Winter Wonderland Cake from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interested in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

Pin this sweet buttermilk pie!

.

Kate's Perfect Plum Pie #BakingBloggers

Made with ripe plums and a flaky crust, Kate’s perfect plum pie is one of many special recipes we’ve enjoyed from Kate McDermott’s wonderful book, Art of the Pie. I share it here with the author’s permission. The combination of sweet plummy filling and buttery crust will be a hit at your holiday table.

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to review Art of the Pie, a beautiful cookbook full of pie recipes, of course, but Kate also shares her wisdom about life. As I said in that review, pie is one of those things that seem to divide the baking world. Some of us get it, some of us don’t. Fortunately, Art of the Pie is for all of us.

Experienced pie bakers will love the creative recipes. But starting from the (17-page!) introduction, Kate’s rules for pie making and life are the calm and knowledgeable words of a wise woman. Her instructions regarding measuring ingredients and the equipment you’ll need are thorough. I’m pretty sure even a nervous pie maker would relax at Kate’s reassuring “you got this” tone.

I love the stories that are interspersed between the recipes, especially the one that introduces A Berry Pie for Julia, about Kate’s afternoon with Julia Child. By the time I closed the book – yes, I read cookbooks all the way through like novels – I felt I knew Kate as a friend. A friend who was going to show me how to improve my own pies and keep everything chill, especially myself.

Here’s the crazy part about our small digital world and social media. Since then, Kate and I have been friends on Facebook. When I wrote her a private message recently to ask if I could share this recipe for our Baking Bloggers pie event, she was delighted to say yes. And I was thrilled when she told me that a companion volume to Art of the Pie will be coming out in October 2020. More delicious pie! I cannot wait!

Kate’s Perfect Plum Pie

As Kate says, flaky crust cannot be rushed, so take your time and enjoy the process. If you don’t have plums, other stone fruit can be substituted.

Ingredients
For the dough:
2 1/2 cups or 312g all-purpose flour, unbleached, plus extra for rolling out
1/2 cup or 113g cold butter, butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
1/2 cup or 113g vegetable shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup or 120ml ice water, plus 1-2 tablespoons or 15-30ml more as needed

For the plum filling:
2 lbs or 900g plums, pitted and quartered
3/4 cup or 150g sugar
1/3 cup or 42g flour
1-2 tablespoons or 15-30g Cointreau or other orange liqueur (optional)
1 tablespoon or 12g quick-cooking tapioca
1/3 teaspoon salt
A small grating of nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons butter

For the egg wash:
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

For decoration:
1-2 teaspoons or 4-8g sugar, for sprinkling on top of pie

Method
To make the pie crust, put all the flour, butter, shortening and salt in a large bowl. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter and shortening into the flour until it looks like crumbs with some lumps the size of peas or even almonds.

Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture a tablespoon or two at a time, stirring it in lightly with a fork.

Squeeze a handful of dough to see if it holds together. If not, sprinkle in a little more ice water. Divide the dough into two pieces. Form them into discs about 5 inches or 12cm across. Wrap them in cling film and put them to chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Meanwhile, make your plum filling. Pit and quarter the plums.

Put them in a large bowl with the sugar, flour, Cointreau, tapioca, salt and nutmeg. Mix well, making sure the fruit is well coated with the other ingredients.

When chilling time is up, preheat your oven to 425°F or 220°C.

Take the dough discs out of the refrigerator. They will be quite stiff so leave them to warm up slightly, until they feel slightly soft to the touch. This will make them easier to roll out.

Sprinkle your clean work surface with flour. Pop your dough disk in the middle, and with a lightly floured rolling pin, give it a couple of good thumps on one side. Turn the disc over and repeat, sprinkling it with a little more flour. I’m not sure what exactly this is supposed to do besides spreading the dough out just a bit, but the thumping is very satisfying to do.

Roll the pastry into a circle 1⁄8 inch thick and about 2 inches larger all around than pie plate, always rolling from the middle to the outer edge.

Brush off any excess flour and use your rolling pin to transfer the bottom crust to the pie plate. Kate says you can fix any holes by wetting the crust with a little water and patching the hole with a piece of dough.

Pour your filling into the crust and add bits of the butter to the top.

Roll out the second disc of dough and lay it gently on top of the fruit. Use a sharp knife to cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape while baking. Trim the excess dough and crimp the edges. This is decorative and functional. Crimping makes sure the two crusts are stuck together.

Lightly whisk the egg and water with a fork to make the egg wash. Use a pastry brush to paint the top of the pie and crimped edges. Sprinkle with the sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes in your preheated oven then turn the temperature down to 350°F or 180°C. Continue to bake for 30-35 minutes more.

The filling should be bubbling at a steady pace by now. We need it to bubble so the tapioca will set the filling. If it’s not bubbling, turn the oven back up to 450°F or 230°C for 5 minutes, covering the pie loosely first with foil if it’s already quite brown.

Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving. The longer you can wait, the more likely the filling will set, so don’t rush to cut the pie.

But when you do, enjoy! (Yeah, I could have waited longer but PIE! Amiright?)

It's pie baking season! Check out all the lovely pies my fellow Baking Bloggers are sharing today. Many thanks to our fearless leader and host today, Sue from Palatable Pastimes for her behind the scenes work.

• Amazing Apple Pie by Simply Inspired Meals
• Blueberry Mini Pies by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Butternut & Apple Galette by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Chicken and Spinach Quiche by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Chocolate Cream Pie by Making Miracles
• Kate's Perfect Plum Pie by Food Lust People Love
• Lemon Meringue Tart by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Mixed Vegetable Pie With Shortcrust Pastry by Recipe Pocket
• Pear Ginger Pie by Cookaholic Wife
• Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Pie by Palatable Pastime
• Sour Cream Pear Pie by Pandemonium Noshery
• Spinach and Chicken Quiche by Sneha's Recipe

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interested in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

Note: The link to the cookbook is an Amazon affiliate link. Your price remains the same but I get a few pennies if you buy Kate’s book after clicking on my link.

Pin Kate's Perfect Plum Pie! 

 .

Chicken and Mushroom Puff Pastry Pie #FoodieExtravaganza

Flaky puff pasty and a delectable filling make this chicken and mushroom puff pastry pie the perfect luncheon or brunch fare. It’s delicious warm or at room temperature.

I am a fan of savory pies in any form. They are not only a great use of leftovers, transforming them into a whole other meal. In fact, I have been known to make extra roast beef/chicken/lamb just so I’ll have enough for pie. In the case of this chicken and mushroom puff pastry pie, I used a store-bought rotisserie chicken.

Every year that I have lived in Dubai (my seventh will start in November!) the local produce available in the grocery stores and farmers’ markets has grown and grown. This year for the first time, much to my delight, I’ve started finding mushrooms from the UAE and our neighbor Oman on the refrigerated shelves. Consequently, prices are more reasonable as well and we’ve been eating a lot of mushrooms.

This month my Foodie Extravaganza friends are celebrating the lowly but delicious mushroom with recipes in honor of National Mushroom Month. Don’t miss the link list with more wonderful mushroom recipes near the bottom of this post.

If you are a fan of mushrooms, you'll want to check out my Wild Mushroom Soup, Mushrooms Provençal and Beef Short Rib Bourguignon. That last one has only five ingredients but is probably the best beef Bourguignon I've ever put in my mouth!

Chicken and Mushroom Puff Pastry Pie

This special pie will generously serve 4-6 people. Serve it alongside some freshly steamed vegetables or a crisp green salad.

Ingredients
For the filling:
1 lb 10 oz or 750g fresh baby or button mushrooms
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into tiny cubes
4 tablespoons plain flour
2 teaspoons whole grained mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 cup or 240ml chicken stock
1 lb or 450g cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
1/2 cup or 120ml double or whipping cream
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional: cayenne pepper

For the crust:
2 packages (8 oz or 230g each) puff pastry (preferably all butter, if you can find it!)
1 egg, beaten

Optional to garnish:
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
tarragon sprigs

Method
Wash the mushrooms thoroughly making sure to remove any dirt that clings to them with a brush. Cut off any hard ends on the stems and discard.

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and add in the mushrooms.

Cook covered over a high heat for several minutes, until the mushrooms have released their water.

Continue cooking, uncovered, until all of the water has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to turn golden.

Transfer them to another vessel and return the skillet to the stove.

Reduce the heat to medium low and add one tablespoon of the butter. Sauté the onion and carrot until they soften. Add in the last tablespoon of butter. Once it has melted, add in the flour and stir until you have a thick paste. Cook for a minute or two to get rid of the raw flour flavor.

Remove the pan from the heat.

Add in the minced tarragon and mustard, then gradually whisk in the stock to form a smooth sauce.

Return the pan to the stove and then cook over medium low heat for several minutes until thickened.

Remove from the heat and add in the chicken, mushrooms and the cream. Stir well.

Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne if using. Stir well. Leave to rest in the skillet until cooled, stirring occasionally.

Once your filling has cooled, preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and unroll the first circle of puff pastry onto it.

Pile the filling onto the puff pastry and spread it out evenly, leaving a large circle of pastry around the outsides. Brush the pastry edge with the beaten egg.

Carefully cover the filling with the second circle of puff pastry to create the upper crust, gently pressing out air as you go.

Crimp the edges to seal the pie. Cut two or three vent holes in the top with a sharp knife and brush the whole pie with the egg.

You can also score the pastry with the knife, if desired. I did a sort of diamond pattern. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if using.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown all over.

Remove the chicken and mushroom puff pastry pie from the oven and leave to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to this month’s Foodie Extravaganza host, Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm! Check out all the wonderful mushroom recipes we are sharing this month:

• Chicken & Mushroom Vegetable Medley by Reviews, Chews & How-Tos
• Chicken and Mushroom Puff Pastry Pie by Food Lust People Love
• Mushroom Quesadillas by Caroline's Cooking
• Mushroom, Sausage  and Spinach Strata by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Mushrooms in Green Herb Sauce by Sneha's Recipe
• Portabella Mushroom Cheesesteak Sandwich by Simple and Savory
• Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Steak with Porcini Mushroom Gravy by Palatable Pastime

Foodie Extravaganza celebrates obscure food holidays, and we all post recipes using the same ingredient. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you!

Pin it!

Stuffed Plum Tomato Tart #BakingBloggers

For a Christmas brunch or a Sunday lunch, this stuffed plum tomato tart with a savory black olive shortcrust is pretty enough to be the star of the meal.

Do you ever come across a new ingredient in the grocery store that you just have to buy, even if you have no idea what you will make with it? I do! My most recent purchase was a container of mini plum tomatoes. Talk about cute!

Well, I couldn’t just cut them up and put them into a salad because then, how would you know how cute they were? Right? I decided that the best way to showcase them would be to stuff and bake them. And the best way to get them to stay upright would be to make them part of a tart.

This is a bit fiddly to make since you have to empty the tomatoes in order to fill them, but look at how pretty it turned out? Totally worth the time and, really, not a lot of effort.

Stuffed Plum Tomato Tart with Black Olive Shortcrust

The flavors are Mediterranean, from the red ripe plum tomatoes and the mozzarella and anchovy stuffing, to the black olive shortcrust.

Ingredients
For the black olive shortcrust:
1 1/2 cups or 190g flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup or 60g shortening
1/2 cup or 40g minced black olives, well drained
3-4 tablespoons cold water

For the plum tomato tart filling:
16 baby plum tomatoes (mine weighed about 1 lb 2 oz or 500g)
1/2 cup or 28g fresh breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic
Small bunch chives (about 15g)
3.5 oz or 100g mozzarella, grated
5-6 small anchovies fillets, drained (for a vegetarian tart, replace these with salty Kalamata olives)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup or 60ml milk
1/2 cup or 50g finely grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

Method
Make the pastry dough by lightly combining the shortening with the salt and flour, until you have crumbles. Fork through the minced black olives.

Add the cold water a little at time, mixing it in with a fork, until the pastry can form a ball. You can see my method, without the olives, in detail here: How to make a flaky pie crust.

Wrap the dough in cling film. Chill.

Halve and empty the plum tomatoes, reserving the liquid and flesh you have removed. I used a melon ball scoop, which made this part really easy. Leave the tomato halves to drain cut side down on paper towels.

Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C. Lightly grease and line your 8 3/4 in or 22cm spring-form tart pan with baking parchment.

To make the stuffed plum tomato filling, mince the garlic, chives and anchovies. Mix them with the grated mozzarella, breadcrumbs and enough of the tomato insides to moisten.

Roll out the chilled olive pastry crust and ease it into the prepared tart pan. Trim the pastry to fit or fold it over and make a decorative edge.

Top with another piece of parchment and baking beads.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Remove the beads and parchment and bake another five. Remove the tart case from the oven and brush the bottom with a little olive oil.

Stuff the tomato halves with the filling and put them cut side up in the tart case, close together so they support each other to stay upright. I piled them all in and then held one at a time to fill, then replaced it in the crust.

Beat your eggs with the milk. Add the Parmesan and a good few grinds of fresh black pepper and mix well.

Carefully pour the egg mixture around the stuffed tomatoes. Give the whole tart another couple of grinds of fresh black pepper.

Bake for 35-40 or until the egg is set and the tomatoes are slumping.

Cut into slices. Enjoy!

Today I am joining a group of avid bakers in a new group called Baking Bloggers. Our organizer is Sue from Palatable Pastime and for our inaugural post, she has chosen PIE as the theme. Check out all the other lovely pies and tarts, both sweet and savory, that we are sharing.

• Applesauce Pie by Making Miracles
• Blackberry Pie by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Concord Grape Pie by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cranberry Apple Pie by House of Nash Eats
• Dairy-free Raspberry Jam Crostata by Manu's Menu
• French Silk Pie by Tramplingrose
• Pear-Apple Crumble Pie by Cookaholic Wife
• Pear Frangipane Tart with Cranberries by Caroline's Cooking
• Seafood B'stilla (Moroccan Seafood Pie) by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Stuffed Plum Tomato Tart by Food Lust People Love

Pin it! 

 .