Do you ever just get in the mood to cook?
I’ll be honest, it hasn’t been hitting me as much recently as it once did. There was a time that I’d spend a few days a week just cooking, and it wasn’t because I had to. I just really enjoyed trying new things.
But I think I’ve just been busier over the past few months than I used to be, so I haven’t had the time to try new dishes.
However, we had a great thing happen this week. My husband received a salesaward for this year at his job. We are all really proud of him.
So I wanted to do something nice for him to show him how proud we are of him and grateful for his efforts. He loves my pies, so I took an hour one morning to bake him a pie. I thought you all might be interested in this delicious treat too.
Also, I should mention, I made this pie sugar-free. My husband is pretty health conscientious, so he tries to avoid sugar. Which means if you need a recipe for a diabetic loved one, this could be a good fit.
But if you like sugar, no worries, you can always add it back in. Here is how I make my homemade peach pies:
Homemade Sugar-Free Peach Pie
Pie Crust Ingredients:
- 1 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1/3 cup oil
- 2 tablespoons ice water
- 2 sheets wax paper
- Rolling pin
Filling Ingredients:
- 1-quart sugar-free canned peaches
- 2 tablespoons apple pie spice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
Let’s get started—
1. Make the pie crust
I learned how to make a homemade pie crust here. She does a great job of simplifying something that has seemed overly complicated for years.
But I’m also going to walk you through making this pie crust myself. To begin, you’ll need to put your all-purpose flour in a mixing bowl.
Then you’ll want to add your salt. Use a fork and toss that around a few times to make sure that the salt and flour are mixed.
Next, you’ll add your oil to the mixture. The trick here is not to over mix. You’ll want to take the tips of the fork to mix the ingredients as much as possible since it does a better job of mixing than using the side of the fork.
But only mix about 30 times. It is okay if you still have some flour in the bottom of the bowl.
Then you’ll want to add your ice water to the mix. It is going to look like you’ve added too much, but you haven’t.
Again, use the prongs of the fork to kind of stab the dough to mix it at first. You’ll see it does a better job of grabbing everything and mixing it together. You’ll only want to mix it about 20 times. When you’ve finished, grab the dough and ball it up in your hand.
Next, you’ll place the dough on one sheet of wax paper. Place the other sheet of wax paper on top of the dough.
Then you’ll begin to roll the dough out in a circular motion between the paper. Don’t worry if it is not perfectly round. We can take care of that later.
When you’ve finished this, peel off the top layer of wax paper. Then flip the other wax paper with the crust over and into the pie pan.
Then you’ll peel the wax paper off of the crust and that should leave the crust in the pan. Again, if you’d like to see a video tutorial about this, here is the video of Nana making her famous pie crust that actually got me started on baking pies.
Hopefully, it will help you too!
2. Make your pie filling
So once you have your pie crust in the pan you’ll need to decide if you are making a single crust pie or a double. I usually make a double. If so, then you’ll repeat step one again after you finish the pie filling.
Now, in order to make the pie filling, you have two options. First, you can just buy premade pie filling. I’ll be honest, we raise peaches so I refuse to buy anything I don’t have to.
So that leads to option two. You can utilize peaches that you canned earlier that year. If you didn’t can peaches, then use store bought peaches. It all works the same.
You’ll need to decide up front if you want this recipe to be sugar-free. Mine was because I canned my peaches in a syrup containing Splenda instead of sugar. You can purchase canned sugar-free peaches at most supermarkets.
If you don’t really care if the pie is sugar-free, then use peaches canned in regular syrup. They’ll be fine.
Once you have your peaches, you’ll need to pour a quart of them into a pot. From there you’ll want to add your apple pie spice. You can add the different spices that makeapple spice such as nutmeg and cinnamon.
But I prefer to use apple pie spice because it simplifies the process for me. Here is how you can make your own apple pie spice if you prefer.
Once you’ve added the apple pie spice, you’ll need to stir it up and bring the mixture to a slow boil. When it begins to bubble, then you’re ready to add the cornstarch.
So what I do to avoid any lumps of cornstarch in my filling, is I mix equal parts cornstarch and water in a separate cup. Then I mix it up really well.
From there, I add it to the filling and turn the mixture over medium-low heat. You’ll want to stir pretty regularly so the filling doesn’t scorch.
Once you see bubbles again, you should see the filling thicken. If it isn’t thick enough for you, then repeat the process with the cornstarch until it reaches desired consistency.
Then you are ready to spoon it into your pie crust in the pie pan.
Again, if you are making a pie with two crusts, then you’ll need to go back and repeat step one from here.
3. Bake It
Once you have your top pie crust on the pie, you’ll want to go around and cut the edges of the pie crust off. Be sure that the knife you use is sharp so it won’t tear the crust.
Then you can make a design around the edge of the pie crust by either using a fork to indent the edges of the pie so it’ll bake together.
Or you can use your thumb and index finger to create a little crimp all the way around the edge of the pie crust. Be sure to cut three little slits in the center of the pie so the steam can escape.
Once this is done, you’ll want to place the pie in the oven at 350° Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes. Some ovens bake differently so your time may vary. Just keep an eye on it so the pie doesn’t burn.
When you see steam or pie filling bubbling through the vents in the pie, then you are ready to remove it from the oven momentarily.
4. Egg Wash
Now, when the pie is done with its first round of cooking, I always recommend using an egg wash. It browns up the pie crust and makes it visually appealing.
Plus, the crust becomes crisp and quite delicious.
So you’ll need one egg that has been cracked into a cup. You’ll mix it up and then use a basting brush to brush the top of the pie. Be sure to baste the edges as well.
Once this is done you are ready to move on.
5. Bake it further
This time around you only want to bake the pie long enough for the egg wash to do its thing. For me, that means popping the pie back in the oven at 350° Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes.
Again, oven times may vary so it may take a little longer or a little less. Once you see the top of the pie browning and crisping up, then you know it is time to pull it from the oven.
Once it is out, you can add a sprinkle of sugar, cinnamon, or brown sugar on top to add a nice topping to your pie. I did not do it, in order to keep the pie on the lighter side.
6. Enjoy
So once your pie is out of the oven, you’ll just need to allow it to sit for about 30 minutes so it can cool down some.
Truthfully, when you cut into a pie straight from the oven you are asking to burn your tongue because the filling is basically boiling when you pull it out.
For that reason, we recommend that you wait. But once everything has cooled down, feel free to dive in with some cool-whip and ice cream to go with.
Then you can have a delicious dessert that can be easily and inexpensively made.
So you now know how to make an easy and delicious peach pie. I love making desserts that allow me to use what I have on hand. That is why this pie is a quick go-to for me.
But I’d like to hear from you. Do you like to bake pies? Why or why not? If so, what is your favorite go-to pie to make?
Plus, I mentioned I made this pie as a treat to congratulate my husband. What foods do you make in order to congratulate or ‘treat’ someone around you when times of celebration arise?
We love hearing from you. Please leave us your thoughts and comments in the section provided below.
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