Apricot and Peach Pie

My entire family, with the exception of me, has a sweet tooth so it always works out well when I bake cakes as I'll be able to escape the havoc. My mother is arriving tomorrow evening and she cannot go a day without having something sweet to nibble on after dinner. To distract her from the mess in the house, a sweet and fruity pie will definitely do the trick. 

First, my sister tasted it and her impressions went from:
"Hmm, it's good," while she cut it with a spoon...
to
"It's really good," she said nodding, having given up on the spoon and grabbed the slice with her hand
and finally 20 minutes later,
"Mmmm, that was amazing..."

Hopefully my mother's reaction will be somewhere close to that and she won't be too upset I used up all the apricots and peaches in the house.

This is an amazing recipe that you must, however, follow to a tee (I admit I was tempted to cut down the cooling time for the pie shell and the dough... I'm not sure what could come out otherwise but the risk is up to you). Not being a big fan of pies, this recipe is perfect as the fruits are not too sweet and the pie shell does not over power the apricots and peaches.

Best Part: Watching the juices bubble even after the pie was out of the oven, the odor was irresistible.

Apricot and Peach Pie:

The entire recipe was taken from: Slow Like Honey - A Rolling Pin Is Considered a Weapon
Yield: Makes one 9-inch pie
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 to 75 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

● Pate Brisee (recipe listed below)
● 2/3 cup granulated sugar
● 3 tbsp cornstarch
● 1 tbsp. milk
● 1 pound fresh, ripe peaches, pitted and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
● 1 pound fresh, ripe apricots, pitted and sliced into sixths
● 1/4 tsp salt
● juice of one lemon, cut into small pieces
● 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut in to small pieces
● 1 large egg yolk
● 1 tbsp heavy cream
● sanding sugar

Directions:

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough to a 12-inch round. Drape dough over a 9-inch pie pan, pressing it into the edges. Trim dough to a 1/2-inch overhand all around. Roll out remaining disk of dough in the same manner; transfer (on parchment) to a baking sheet. Chill pie shell and dough until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, toss together peaches and apricots. Add the granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon juice; toss to combine. Remove baking sheet from the refrigerator; transfer dough to a clean surface. Using a cookie cutter, cut dough in to different shapes.

3. Spoon the fruit mixture and any juices into the chilled pie shell, mounding fruit slightly in the center. Dot with butter. Brush the rim of the pie shell with water. Place the cut out dough shapes on top of the fruit, starting at the edges and working your way in. Crimp the edges together, if you like. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and cream; brush on dough shapes and edge of pie shell, being careful not to let it pool. Generously sprinkle entire surface with sanding sugar. Freeze or refrigerate pie until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 400 degrees with the rack in the lower third.

4. Place pie on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until crust beings to turn golden. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking, rotating sheet halfway trough until the crust is deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling and have thickened, 40 to 50 minutes.

5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve the pie with a dollop of fresh cream or ice cream. The pie is best eaten the same day it is baked, but it can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.

Pate Brisee

Origin: Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook
Yield: Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: at least one hour

Ingredients:

● 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
● 1 tsp. salt
● 1 tsp. sugar
● 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
● 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.

2. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

3. Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.