Peach Streusel Pie

Peach Streusel Pie

SERVES 8
TIME Two hours, plus at least 2 1/2 hours of cooling time
NOTES: If your peaches are exceptionally juicy, toss with an additional tbsp. of tapioca. To peel peaches, make a small x on the bottom of the fruit, then plunge into boiling water for 30 seconds. Once cool, the skin will pull free.

Ingredients

1/4 cup each walnuts and pecans, finely ground in a food processor
1 cup flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
3 lbs. ripe peaches (about 8), peeled and sliced (see Notes)
About 1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca (see Notes)
1 disk (1/2 recipe) Best basic pie crust dough (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Put an oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 350°. Stir together walnuts, pecans, flour, brown sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Add butter and stir with a fork until mixture forms small clumps (break apart any large clumps with your fingers). Set aside.

2. Gently mix peaches, sugar, and tapioca in a large bowl. Taste and add additional sugar if you like. Set aside.

3. Dust your counter and rolling pin with flour. With short strokes from center outward, roll dough into a 12-in. circle (about 1/8 in. thick), turning 90° after every 3 or 4 passes of the rolling pin to keep it from sticking. Transfer dough to a 9-in. deep-dish glass pie plate, letting it fall into place (if you push or stretch the dough, it will shrink back when baked). Trim overhang to 1/2 in., tuck edge under, and crimp edge. Pile peaches into crust, then top with streusel.

4. Put pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until topping and bottom crust are well browned, about 1 hour. Let cool to room temperature, at least 2 1/2 hours, before serving.

PER SERVING 491 Cal., 49% (243 cal.) from fat; 5.5 g protein; 27 g fat (12 g sat.); 59 g carbo (3.4 g fiber); 354 mg sodium; 45 mg chol.

Best basic pie crust dough
PREP TIME 15 minutes
MAKES 1 double crust for a 9-in. pie (or 2 single-crust 9-in. pies)
NOTES: If you would like to use lard – which also contributes flavor and flakiness to pie crust – substitute 2 tbsp. lard for 2 tbsp. of the shortening. Try to get good-quality lard from a butcher shop if you can; it's generally much better than ordinary grocery-store lard.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
7 tbsp. very cold butter, cut into small pieces
7 tbsp. very cold shortening, cut into pieces

Directions

1. Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Drop in butter and shortening. Using your hands, a fork, a pastry cutter, or two knives, work butter and shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles cornmeal with some small pea-size pieces.

2. Using a fork, quickly stir in 1/2 cup ice water (mixture will not hold together). Turn dough and crumbs onto a clean surface. Knead just until dough starts to hold together but some bits still fall away, 5 to 10 times. Divide dough in half and pat each half into a 6-in. disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 20 minutes and up to overnight.

PER SERVING 168 Cal., 59% (99 cal.) from fat; 2.1 g protein; 11 g fat (4.6 g sat.); 16 g carbo (0.5 g fiber); 270 mg sodium; 14 mg chol.