Celebrating Pie Season

Peach and Blackberry Pie

Hi, Happy Friday!

Shall we talk about pie?

We are in the middle of the perfect season for pie, there is an abundance of fruit in season and for me pie is often one of the best ways to celebrate that bounty; a simple flaky pastry encasing a generous amount of fruit and very little else, some custard or ice cream to serve, a dollop of creme fraiche maybe. Pie is also a skill that, once you’ve mastered, you can truly adapt to make a thousand varieties, using what is in season to make something incredibly special.

I was talking to my boyfriend the other day about the UK’s lack of pie culture, I don’t mean that we don’t make and eat pies, of course we do (especially savoury pies). What I wish we had was that diner-style spot where you can rock up, order a big mug of coffee and a slice of pie, with a whole variety of flavours to choose from. I am thinking of places like Bang Bang Pie and Biscuits in Chicago, Sister Pie in Detroit or the many many diners in the American south. I wish we had spots like that (a good pop-up idea maybe?), I would be there a lot!

For todays pie I wanted to have a peach redo, a better experience after last weeks bland peach fiasco. Cutting into a whole bunch of peaches and realising they had no flavour was disappointment of the highest order. I went to my all time favourite greengrocers, Newington Green Fruit and Veg (the promised land of fruits and vegetables and my former local spot which I still travel to buy from) and bought some beautiful yellow peaches, ripe but not too soft. After trying one and being rewarded with a beautiful juicy and flavourful peach I knew I didn’t want to dilute the flavour with lots of other ingredients, so I settled on a simple peach pie with a small amount of blackberries and lots of vanilla, a beautiful summer pie.

When it comes to making a perfect pie, with a crisp pastry and no soggy bottom, I have a couple tips for you.

1 - Pre-cook the filling

2 - Adding a thin layer of ground almonds to the bottom of the pie to soak up juices

3 - Bake on a preheated baking tray or baking stone should you have one

4 - Bake on an initial high temp and then reduce to ensure fully cooked pastry

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