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Peaches and Cream Pie

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 18, 2013

Time

2½ hours, plus 30 minutes chilling and 3 hours cooling

Yield

Serves 8

Peaches and Cream Pie

Ingredients

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell 2 pounds (907 grams) ripe but firm peaches, peeled, halved, and pitted2 tablespoons sugar, plus ½ cup (3 ½ ounces/99 grams)3 tablespoons all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt ⅓ cup heavy cream 2 large egg yolks ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Before You Begin

Use your favorite pie dough or our Single-Crust Pie Dough recipe. Be sure to start chilling the pie shell about a half-hour before the peaches go in the oven.

Instructions

  1. Cover pie shell with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 40 minutes, then freeze for 20 minutes.
  2. While pie shell is chilling, adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Place peach halves cut side up on aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake peaches on upper rack until softened and juice is released, about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through baking.
  3. Leaving peaches in oven, line chilled pie shell with parchment paper or double layer of aluminum foil, covering edges to prevent burning, and fill with pie weights. Place chilled pie shell on lower rack and bake until edges are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and continue to bake crust until bottom is light brown and peaches until they are caramelized, about 5 minutes longer. Let crust and peaches cool for 15 minutes.
  4. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Quarter peaches lengthwise. Arrange peaches in single layer over crust. Combine flour, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Whisk in cream, egg yolks, and vanilla until smooth. Pour cream mixture over peaches. Bake until filling is light golden brown and firm in center, 45 to 55 minutes. Let pie cool on wire rack for at least 3 hours. Serve.

Peaches and Cream Pie

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Time

2½ hours, plus 30 minutes chilling and 3 hours cooling

Yield

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
2 pounds (907 grams) ripe but firm peaches, peeled, halved, and pitted
2 tablespoons sugar, plus ½ cup (3 ½ ounces/99 grams)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
2 pounds (907 grams) ripe but firm peaches, peeled, halved, and pitted
2 tablespoons sugar, plus ½ cup (3 ½ ounces/99 grams)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
2 pounds (907 grams) ripe but firm peaches, peeled, halved, and pitted
2 tablespoons sugar, plus ½ cup (3 ½ ounces/99 grams)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Time and again the juicy peaches wreaked watery havoc on our custardy pie filling. Roasting them on the upper-middle rack for about 45 minutes evaporated their excess liquid, and a dusting of granulated sugar encouraged a complementary caramelized coating.

Before You Begin

Use your favorite pie dough or our Single-Crust Pie Dough recipe. Be sure to start chilling the pie shell about a half-hour before the peaches go in the oven.

Instructions

  1. Cover pie shell with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 40 minutes, then freeze for 20 minutes.
  2. While pie shell is chilling, adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Place peach halves cut side up on aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake peaches on upper rack until softened and juice is released, about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through baking.
  3. Leaving peaches in oven, line chilled pie shell with parchment paper or double layer of aluminum foil, covering edges to prevent burning, and fill with pie weights. Place chilled pie shell on lower rack and bake until edges are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and continue to bake crust until bottom is light brown and peaches until they are caramelized, about 5 minutes longer. Let crust and peaches cool for 15 minutes.
  4. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Quarter peaches lengthwise. Arrange peaches in single layer over crust. Combine flour, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Whisk in cream, egg yolks, and vanilla until smooth. Pour cream mixture over peaches. Bake until filling is light golden brown and firm in center, 45 to 55 minutes. Let pie cool on wire rack for at least 3 hours. Serve.

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