Along with baking a blueberry pie, we decided upon baking a peach pie for some variety.  Peach pies, much like apple pies, straddle the beautifully tempting line between tart and sweet.  I have found that the key to a good peach pie is to have perfectly ripened fruit.  You want your peaches to be firm enough that they will hold there form when you peel and slice them, but sweet enough to impart that juicy, sun ripen flavor of a well ripened peach.  Needless to say, I spend the week leading up to the baking of a peach pie, ogling, prodding, and sniffing my peaches to ensure that they’re up to the exacting standards necessary for the baking of a truly phenomenal pie.  This particular pie was a joint endeavor between my Mom and I, produced during our annual fruit pie baking spree.

Ingredients:

• Pie Crust for the top and bottom of a pie (Homemade is best.  It makes a difference in the taste and texture of your pies.)
• 8 – 10 peeled and sliced Peaches
• 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp Cornstarch
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• dash of Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 450 F (232 C).
2. Make and roll out the bottom of your pie crust.
3. Arrange the crust in your pie plate, and chill it in your refrigerator while you make the filling.
4. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and salt.
5. Gently stir the peaches until they are coated with the dry ingredients.  You may want to let the peaches sit for about ten minutes to allow the juices to meld with the dry ingredients.
6. Arrange the peaches into the pie crust, and drizzle in the remaining juice.
7. Roll out and shape the top layer of pie crust.  This particular pie has a woven top, but cutting air holes in a solid layer of crust is an easier alternative.
8. Place a baking sheet on the bottom rack of your oven.  This will hopefully catch any juices that may overflow during the baking process.  Place your pie directly above the baking sheet on a higher rack.
9. Bake the pie for 10 minutes, before reducing the temperature to 350 F (177 C) and baking the pie of 50 more minutes.
10. Allow the pie to cool slightly before serving.  You want it to still be warm, but cool enough that the juices’ have begun to thicken.