RECIPES: FRESH PEACH PIE + REAL Whipped Cream

I promised it and sometimes I keep promises.  So, here you go...

 

FRESH PEACH PIE

 

5 large peaches

1/2 c. sugar

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

2/3 c. water

1 3 oz. package peach Jell-O

1/3 c. orange juice

1 9-inch pie crust

 

 

Make & bake regular pie crust (or just buy one in the freezer section and follow the directions like I do).  Cool completely.

 

While pie crust is baking, stir sugar and cornstarch together in a small or medium saucepan.  Add water and whisk together.  Cook over medium-high heat and while stirring/whisking constantly and bring to a boil.  Continue to whisk and cook for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and stir in Jell-O until dissolved.  Set aside to cool.

 

 

Peel, pit, and slice peaches (after peeling I cut mine into 8th's or 12th's) and put in a bowl with the orange juice, stirring occasionally to keep all peaches coated.

 

 

Once the Jell-O mixture has cooled to room temperature (don't let it sit or cool too long...it'll thicken too much), pour it over the peaches and orange juice and gently stir/mix well.  Spoon peaches into the pie shell and refrigerate at least a few hours prior to serving.

Top with whipped cream & enjoy!

 

 NOTES:

• The quality of your peaches will make or ruin your pie.  Great peaches make for great pie.  Sub-par peaches make for sub-par pie.  Buy the best, sweetest peaches you can get your hands on (I prefer Suncrest but I've been happy with Elbertas and Red Ladies as well).
• You don't have to, but when I prep my peaches, I like to cut out the outer-most part of the area around the pit.  I do leave a little red there but I get rid of the drier, stringier portion.
• I like my pies to be tall and mounded rather than even with the pie crust so I use more like 7-8 large peaches (or more).  The other day I made another one of these pies using about 12 small peaches and it just wasn't enough.  I haven't yet measured how many cups of peaches I use.  I just say when in doubt, add more.
• I've tried this with both regular and sugar-free Jell-O (which is what I usually use) and it does NOT turn out as well with the sugar-free.  The Jell-O didn't firm up as much and I was left with a semi-soggy bottom crust after it spent its time in the fridge.  Yuck.
• I don't like a lot of the Jell-O mixture in the pie so when I put the peaches in the crust, I use a good slotted spoon with wider slots so that a lot (if not most) of the Jell-O drops back into the mixing bowl.  Then, once I've transferred all the peaches and moved them around to my satisfaction, I drip a bit of the mixture in between some of the peaches.  On the last pie I made, I probably dumped over a cup of the stuff.  In the pie pictures in this post, you can see that I put too much Jell-O mixture on top at the end...it still tasted good but it was just too much for us.
• Yet another rule in my kitchen: Do NOT use canned/spray whipped cream (i.e. Reddi-Whip,or another such abomination).  It is fake and should be banned from existence.  I honestly can't think of the last time that I actually purchased the stuff...probably over 10 years ago.

That last note being said, I have to say that I have been seriously surprised over the years by how many of my friends (and a few extended family members) have never made their own whipped cream or have failed to have theirs turn out well.  Therefore, I feel the need to give you a "recipe" or instructions for that as well...

 

FRESH WHIPPED CREAM

 

heavy whipping cream

powdered/confectioner's sugar

hand-held mixer or stand mixer with wire whip

mixing bowl

 

Insert beaters into hand-held mixer or set up your stand mixer with the wire whip attachment.  Pour the cream into the mixing bowl.  Beat the cream on a low-ish speed for a few seconds and then let her rip...I turn mine all the way up to 7 (highest setting on my hand-held).  Beat it, beat it, and then beat it some more.  Once you reach your desired consistency, add powdered sugar, starting with about 1/4 cup to 1/2 pint whipping cream.  Mix well and then taste, adding more sugar as desired.  When you're done, you're done.  Pipe the whipped cream onto your pie using your frosting gear (I use a large round or large star) or if you're not feeling that creative, just spread it over the whole pie or plop a bit on top of each piece as you serve it.

 

 

NOTES:

• We like our whipped cream really thick...as you can see in the one picture, I make it so thick that absolutely nothing happens when I turn the bowl upside-down (I took several pictures while holding it that way and it never budged even a millimeter).  While you might not like it that thick, try not to leave it runny as that just makes for a mess on top of your pie.  Beating it to a soft-peak stage should be good enough.
• Do NOT use regular granulated sugar.  I once had someone complaining to me about how her homemade whipped cream never turned out well and asked what brand of granulated sugar I used.  It doesn't matter what brand you use...if you put granulated sugar in your whipped cream instead of powdered sugar, it won't end well.
• I use 1/2 pint of whipping cream for one pie and close to 1/2 cup of powdered sugar for that amount (hubby likes it really sweet...).

Here's one more picture of the prettiest pie I've made (perfect amount of Jell-O mixture, perfect peaches, etc.).  It's not perfect but it's my perfect and I'm sure proud of it:

 

 

Hope you enjoy your pie.  If not, don't blame me.  You're either a weirdy for not liking fresh peach pie or you did something wrong.  Sorry folks, this stuff is AWESOME.  And I take no claim to fame on this recipe...my family got it from a couple of ladies at our church when I was a teenager.