Peach Cobbler and Peach Fried Pies
I can not get enough of The Peach Truck's peaches! They have a tent sent up across the street from our house and you can bet that E and I are there every single week grabbing a bag.
I just posted about my Grilled Peach Sundaes (recipe here) and I am constantly making new and delicious recipes to get through my bag of peaches each week. This week we've already enjoyed the most amazing Peach Fried Pies and a Peach Cobbler. Totally Southern.
Growing up, my mom would stop at CY Market (anyone remember CY Market in Grassland?) on our way home from school and my brother and I would get fried pies and ICEEs ... It's a wonder we're not 400 pounds. Those fried pies were flakey and crisp with a thin pasty and gooey fruit inside. They were the things that food dreams are built on. I can remember EXACTLY the way they tasted ... even though I haven't had one in probably 20 years. These Peach Fried Pies are about as close as I can get to those CY Market pie fantasies.
They are crisp and buttery, sweet and gooey, and heaven served with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you're going to fry something ... let this be it. Totally worth every. single. calorie.
Peach Fried PiesPie Dough: 1 tablespoon Sugar 1/2 teaspoon Table Salt 1/3 cup Water 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold Unsalted Butter (cut into 1/2-inch dice) 2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour (plus more for rolling)
Filing: 6 fresh peaches 1 tablespoons lemon juice ½ cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon cold butter 1 tablespoon corn starch ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
To make pie dough, dissolve sugar and salt in the water in a small bowl. Refrigerate until very cold, about 30 minutes. During that time, refrigerate your butter, flour, mixer bowl, and paddle, too.
Make sure your butter is cut into 1/2-inch dice. Bigger pieces will make your dough puffy. In the chilled bowl, combine the cold butter and flour. With your hands, toss the butter in the flour until each cube is lightly coated.
With the chilled paddle, beat the flour-butter mixture on low speed to just break up the butter, about 30 seconds. Add the water mixture all at once and raise the speed to medium-low. Beat just until the dough comes together in big chunks, then immediately turn off the mixer.
Divide the chunks of dough in half and very gently pat each group into a round 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour, before rolling. You can refrigerate the disks for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 3 months.
To make filling, start by peeling the peaches. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water. Make a small X in the skin of the bottom of peach, trying not to cut into the flesh. Place the peach in the boiling water for 10 seconds before removing it and placing it in bowl of ice water. Once cool, the skin will easily peel away with a pairing knife. Start at the corners of the X and peel towards the stem. Once peeled, remove the pit and cut the peaches into slices.
Place the peaches in a saucepan over medium heat. Add lemon juice, sugar and nutmeg. Bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes. Mix cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and pour into simmering peach mixture. Bring to a boil to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the butter before transferring to a container to refrigerate until needed.
To make the pies, prepare a clean flat surface with flour. Roll chilled pie dough until it is 1/8 of an inch thick. Using a round cutter (or the lip of a cereal bowl as a template and a pairing knife), cut dough into 5 inch circles.
Place a heaping tablespoon of the chilled filling in the center of your dough circle. Do not overfill. You will want a minimum of one inch of exposed dough around the edges. Using a brush or finger, wet the outer edge of the circle with water to help the dough seal. Carefully fold the dough in half, pressing the two wet sides together to make a half moon shape. Once sealed, use the tines of a fork to secure the two sides together.
When ready to fry, fill a skillet over medium heat 2 inches deep with oil to 350 degrees F. Carefully place one pie at a time in the hot oil and fry until deep golden brown, turning as necessary to ensure even browning. Remove and drain on paper towels and dust with granulated sugar (optional).
Crust adapted from Carla Hall's Perfect Pie Crust. Peach filling adapted from The Peach Truck's Fried Pies.
Another Southern tradition not to be missed? Cobbler. Peach Cobbler. Yep, here in the south, summer and peach cobbler are one in the same. So. Good.
Peach CobblerFilling: 8 fresh peaches (peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges) 1/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Topping: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/8 teaspoon salt 6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled 1/4 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the dough topping, whisk together four, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture until it is the texture of a coarse meal. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the heavy cream into the well and stir with a fork until the mixture comes together. Crumble the dough evenly over the top of the warm peach mixture.
Return cobbler to oven and bake for 40 minutes or until filling begins to bubble around the edges and topping is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving and serve with vanilla ice cream.