Fresh Peach Pie

My daughter has this fabulous peach tree. The peaches come on early and are juicy and sweet year after year. When you eat a peach the juice just runs down your hand, so good. I have an Alberta peach tree which I have only had for three years and the fruit is also good but not like hers. My tree won't have fruit that is ready until the middle of September so she gave me some peaches for a pie because I just love peach pie and waiting is not my strong suit.  If you're not into making your own pie crust by all means use a store bought ready to bake crust. 

For the pie crust:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup cold butter
1/4 cup ice water

Put all ingredients except water into a food processor. Process for 10 seconds or so until crumbly. You can mix by hand if you don't have a processor.  Add water in a slow stream until the dough holds together, not more that 30 seconds.  Make two balls of dough, flatten each into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge of at least 1/2 an hour.

*Tip - you can keep pie dough in the fridge for a week, or freeze for one month.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

After the dough is chilled, take one disk and roll it out on floured surface and place in a 9 to 10 inch pie plate, then make filling.

For the pie filling:
8 good size peaches
2/3 cup sugar, add 1/8 cup more if you need it sweeter (all peaches are different)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Peel and slice peaches into bowl. Stir sugar, lemon juice, salt, and cornstarch into peaches. Pour mixture into pie crust, (sometimes if there is too much juice I don't use it all). Roll out second disk of dough for the top crust. If you want a design on top with tiny cookie cutters etc. this is the time to do that. Lift top crust onto the pie filling and crimp edges to the lower crust.

Whisk an egg and brush crust with egg wash and sprinkle sugar on top crust. This will make your crust shiny and delicious.

Bake in 375 degree oven until crust is golden brown, about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.

*Tip - I use a metal pie ring to protect the edges of the pie crust so they don't get too brown. If you don't have one of these you can use strips of tin foil.