I can’t wait until fresh peaches are in season because there is nothing like fresh peach pies or cobblers! The only way to improve a peach pie or cobbler is to add apricots, giving the dessert a whole new taste. While you wait for those luscious peaches to come into season, frozen ones are almost as tasty and require a lot less work to peel.
When I was a kid, you could buy peaches by the bushel at a very low cost, provided you picked them yourself. The best part was getting to eat as many as you wanted while you picked. Like anything else you eat, though, there’s a limit to how many you could hold, so farmers who owned the peach orchards knew the little, eat-while-you-pick “perk” wouldn’t hurt their bottom line.
My mom would freeze small cartons of the fresh-picked peaches for a special treat. Then, when we were ready for one of the frozen treats, we’d let them thaw out just enough to still be full of ice crystals, and then eat them for dessert like chunky smoothies. No matter how you serve them, peaches are a favorite with young and old alike!
PEACH AND APRICOT PIE
2 (6-ounce) packages dried apricots (2 cups), halved
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 mix for double pie crust (or your own)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
3 pounds frozen sliced peaches, thawed
1 egg, beaten
Place baking sheet on rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In microwave-safe bowl, combine apricots, orange juice and 2 tablespoons water; cover. Microwave on high in 1 minute intervals until apricots soften. Uncover; cool 10 minutes.
Prepare crust mix according to package directions for 2-crust pie, adding 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon to dry mix. Divide dough in half. Wrap one piece and refrigerate. On floured surface, roll remaining half of dough into 11-inch round; fit into 9-inch pie pan.
In large bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, cornstarch and remaining cinnamon until blended. Stir in peaches and apricots. Transfer into crust.
On floured surface, roll out remaining dough into 10-inch round.
Cut into 1-inch wide strips, arrange in lattice pattern over filling. Brush lattice with egg; sprinkle with remaining sugar. Trim edges; flute. Bake pie on hot baking sheet 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake 1 hour, 25 minutes or until crust is browned and the filling bubbles. Tent with foil if pie is browning too quickly.
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