Pretty Lace Peach Pie!
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 45 minutes plus chilling time
Cooking time: 1 hour
- 2.5 cups plain all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon caster or superfine sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 225g/2 sticks butter, cold and cubed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 7-8 tablespoons water
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Oil spray
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10 white peaches
- 1 cup caster or superfine sugar
- 1/4 cup cornflour/fine cornstarch
- 1/4 cup ground almonds
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1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
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1 egg, whisked for glazing
Step 1 - Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and process until mixed. Add butter and pulse until it resembles sand. Add in the vanilla bean paste and water until starting to come together. Knead in a bowl or on a clean surface. Divide in two and shape into a round and flatten and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 2 - Spray a pie dish or tin with oil spray or brush with butter. Roll out one pastry round between parchment and fit into the pie dish. Flute the edges and dock the base with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then roll out the other round of pastry on a sheet of parchment and cut out a circle the same size as the pie. Take two leaf cutters, one small and one large and cut out a pattern as shown starting in the middle centre and branching out to near the edge. Gently lift the sheet of parchment onto a tray and place the top in the freezer to set hard (it will be too delicate to lift unless frozen).
Step 3 - Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Line the base with a sheet of oiled foil, fill with baking beads and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beads and if it needs a bit more time in the oven bake it until the base is cooked. Cool.
Step 4 - Cut peaches into slices-I like leaving the skin on for the colour and goodness but you can remove the skin by simmering in a saucepan of water for 1 minute and then slipping off the skin. Toss with the sugar, cornflour, ground almonds and vanilla sugar and place in the pie base. Cover with frozen top. Preheat oven to 200C/400F and brush the top with the egg wash. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool and serve slices with cream.