Peach Pie with Almond Crumble Topping
Submitted by silken_angel_1
Peach pie with almond crumble topping layers fresh blanched-peeled peaches with almond extract under a buttery sliced-almond streusel. Two-temperature bake locks in juice and crisps the crumble.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
45 minREADY
90 minPeach pie with almond crumble topping is the kind of summer pie that uses every trick to keep the filling jammy and the topping crisp. Fresh ripe peaches get a 30-second blanch in boiling water and a plunge into ice, which slips the skins off cleanly without sacrificing flesh under a paring knife.
Almond extract is the secret-handshake ingredient. Just ½ teaspoon brings out the natural almond-like notes that hide in stone-fruit pits and makes the peach flavor read more vivid. The sliced-almond crumble on top echoes that flavor with crunch.
The two-temperature bake is the technique that earns this pie its reputation. Fifteen minutes at high heat sets the bottom crust before peach juice has time to soak in, then a longer stretch at moderate heat finishes the filling and crisps the streusel.
Chef Tips
- Choose firm-ripe yellow freestone peaches. Clingstones fight you at the pit and bruise during slicing; over-soft peaches collapse into mush and weep too much liquid.
- Score an X in the blossom end of each peach before blanching. The skin curls back from the cuts and slips off in seconds.
- Cut the peaches into 8 to 10 wedges working around the pit. Clean wedges hold their shape; chopped pieces collapse.
- Let the crumble mixture rest 5 minutes after stirring in butter. The flour absorbs the butter evenly and gives larger, sturdier crumbs that brown crisp.
- Watch the bubble. Properly baked the juices should just start to bubble through the crumble; underbaked juices stay raw-tasting and sink into the crust.
Variations
- Swap half the peaches for fresh raspberries or blackberries for a stone-fruit-and-berry combo.
- Use brown sugar in place of half the white sugar in the filling for a deeper caramel note.
- Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the filling alongside the almond extract.
Ingredients
Directions
To make topping: Combine flour, sugar and nutmeg in a mixing bowl; stir well to mix and stir in sliced almonds.
Stir in butter evenly.
Set aside for 5 minutes, then, using your fingertips, break the mixture into ¼ to ½-inch crumbs.
Set aside again while you prepare the filling.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and set racks at middle level.
Roll out bottom crust and arrange in 9-inch Pyrex plate.
To make filling: Peel the peaches by cutting a cross in the blossom end of each and dropping them three at a time into a pan of boiling water.
Remove after 20 or 30 seconds with a slotted spoon or skimmer and drop them into a bowl of ice water.
If the peaches are ripe, the skin will slip off easily.
If it does not, remove the skin with a sharp stainless steel paring knife.
(If you peel it with a knife, include an extra peach for what you have peeled away.) Hold each peeled peach gently in your left hand over a mixing bowl (if you are left handed reverse.)
With a stainless steel paring knife make a cut through to the pit, from stem to blossom end.
Make another cut about ¾ inch to the right of the first one along the outside of the peach.
Angle the knife blade back so the cuts meet at the pit.
Twist the knife blade upward slightly as a wedge of peach will fall into the bowl.
Continue in the same manner around the peach, cutting it into 8 to 10 wedges.
Discard the pit and repeat with remaining peaches.
Add remaining ingredients, except the butter, to the peaches and stir gently with a rubber spatula to combine.
Pour filling into the prepared pastry shell and smooth.
Dot with the butter.
Scatter the crumb topping evenly over the filling.
Place pie on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 350℉ (180℃) and move pie to the middle rack.
Bake another 30 minutes, or until the crust and crumble are a deep golden and the juices are just beginning to bubble up.
Cool the pie on a rack and serve warm or room temperature.
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