7/26/09

I'm back... and I have pie (peach pie)


You know how you read a title of a story that says "I'm back..." and what follows is "did you miss me?" I hate that. That is NOT what I'm going to say. You know why? I missed YOU guys. Holy smack-a-doodles did I miss you guys! I mean seriously, I felt like I was gone for a year. I know I led you all to believe that I was away on a nice, peaceful, relaxful vacation. I wasn't really. Something at home happened that made our lives just stop and go "whoa". It wasn't anything life threatening, but it was truly scary enough.
To make a long story short, all is fine now, our lives are back on track and things are finally coming around to a normal schedule again. Grateful. A HUGE thank you to all my friends for your emails and phone calls--you know who you are and I love that you cared about me and my family. Thank you, that meant the world to me and the hubster.
On to the good stuff! Let's talk about food and whats happening. Have I been the only one pigging out this summer? Tell me (lie please) you've been pigging out too? Make me feel better. The gym, my workouts have been non-existent. Bad, very bad. But I have been swimming, so that counts a bit. I've been swimming daily and nightly watching Shark Week on TV (in HD too--super wild that way). So while I'm in the water swimming away what thoughts go round and round in my head? Yes, those thoughts of humans getting bit by sharks! Always a ton of sharks in the water while I swim; this is whats played through my head as I swim back to the shore. Well, it gets me swimming faster, so........ Amazing what your brain will do when you let it ride on it's own, unsupervised.
I didn't know which latest food creation to share with you first so I picked the one I ate the most of this week: peaches. Lately those peaches at Whole Foods have been fabulous! So flavorful, so plump and huge. I've been eating a lot of them and saved a few for this wonderful peach and creme fraiche pie I saw over at Martha Stewart's website.


This is a peach & creme fraiche pie. The recipe is found here. Changes I made were adding double the crumb topping and serving it with fresh whipped cinnamon cream (just add a couple teaspoons of cinnamon sugar to your whipping cream while you're whipping it). Also, before you're ready to whip your cream add the bowl and beaters to the freezer. This way they'll be nice and cold when you go to whip it up--wonderful little tip. This pie was really good, I mean really good. I truly thought this pie would be heavy and dense, not at all. It was very light tasting, I'm sure it's not so light in calories, but the overall texture was light--surprisingly.

Peach & Crème Fraiche Pie
recipe from martha stewart
print recipe

My notes: Changes I made were doubling the crumb topping. Her version there was hardly any crumb. I also served this with fresh whipped cinnamon cream (just add a couple teaspoons of cinnamon sugar to your whipping cream while you're whipping it). Also, before you're ready to whip your cream add the bowl and beaters to the freezer. This way they'll be nice and cold when you go to whip it up--wonderful little tip.

FOR THE PATE SUCREE
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

FOR THE STREUSEL
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup cold (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

FOR THE FILLING
1 1/2 pounds ripe (4 to 5 medium) yellow peaches, pitted and quartered
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
5 tablespoons creme fraiche

Make the pate sucree: Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. add egg yolk, and pulse. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube until dough just holds together. Turn out dough onto a work surface; shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to 2 days).

Make the streusel: Sift together sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using your hands or a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Fit into a 9 1/2- or 10-inch pie plate (about 1 1/2 inches deep). Trim edge to 1 inch; fold under, and crimp as desired. Pierce bottom of dough all over with a fork. Transfer to freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cover edge of crust with foil. Line crust with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake, covered, 10 minutes. Remove weights and parchment (keep foil on edge).
Bake until pale golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly; remove foil; reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Make the filling: Put peaches into a medium bowl, and sprinkle with sugar and salt; gently toss to coat. let stand 15 minutes.
Spread 2 TB creme fraiche onto bottom of crust; sprinkle with one-third of the streusel. Arrange peaches on top; spread or dot with remaining 3 TB creme fraiche. Sprinkle with remaining streusel.

Bake pie until creme fraiche is bubbling and streusel is golden brown, about 50 minutes. Cover edge of crust with foil if it's browning too quickly. Let cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

60 comments:

  1. Eeeeeeekkkk!!! You're really back? I've missed you so and I'm so glad that things are returning to normal!!

    That pie, of course, looks divine. Have I mentioned how happy I am to see you? :)

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  2. I'm so glad you're back!!! I've missed all your amazing photos, recipes and stories. I just got HD and omg.. what a difference! I can never go back to regular tv..haha.

    I love the crumb topping instead of regular crust.

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  3. YAHOO! You are back! I have missed your posts and amazing food creations. I've been routing for you:) I am glad things are looking up. And now onto the food. The pie looks super duper delicious! Love the cinnamon whipped cream too!

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  4. I'm so glad you're back! We certainly missed you. Also glad to hear things are OK!

    What a great looking pie- I love that you added extra crumb (the best part!!!). I miss your delicious looking desserts

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  5. I am so glad that you are back....this looks delish!

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  6. So glad you're back! Great pie! I love fresh whipped cream.

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  7. Welcome back! I have been very bad too this summer so why not indulge in this yummy pie?!

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  8. peach pie with extra crumb frosting? now thats a way to come back and make a splash! NYC is miserably hot and humid! Your whipped cream looks like some kind of subliminal persuasion....

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  9. Welcome back!!!!! Youo have been missed. Don't worry I've been pigging out too. It's summer. That my only excuse. hahaha... You picka agood choice as your "come back" recipe. Now I want some pie!!!!!!!

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  10. Welcome back!!! and what a grand post, totally rocking w/this pie!!! YUM!

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  11. Swimming is the best workout because it means you can eat..WHATEVER YOU WANT!! When I was on the team, I ate like a horse and was in the best shape of my life. Oh yeah, WELCOME BACK!!!!

    PS, the pie sounds awesome...love the idea of crumb topping!

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  12. I love how you add extra 'crumb' to everything! This pie looks fantastic.

    Welcome bake, I mean back. Sorry. :)

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  13. Looks awesome! Especially that dallop of whipped cream!

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  14. oh my Dawn, I am sooo glad your back!
    And back with pie? Thats why we all love you!

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  15. You have no idea the eek of joy that I let out when I saw that you were back on the google reader! You were missed.

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  16. so excited to log on to my email tonight and see you back posting! hope things are going ok with you now! keep those yummies coming! ~terri

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  17. I'm so happy to see you back and to hear that you are doing ok! The pie is fabulous, especially with the extra crumb topping, yummy! Looking forward to reading about all your new creations!

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  18. Welcome back, Dawn!!! Like everyone else, I missed you a whole bunch! I'm so glad things are getting back to normal for you.

    We've had a pretty horrible summer. I picked up an extra writing job and now I don't have any time for blogging because I'm literally working day and night.

    Your pie looks awesome! You're inspiring me to get back to my blog, because the next thing I planned to post about is a blueberry bread I made in Maine. When I added a thick layer of crumb topping I thought of YOU!

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  19. so glad that you're back and that all is well

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  20. So glad you are back my friend! Bring on the baking inspiration! This looks so yummy, especially with the creme fraiche...genius!

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  21. Welcome back my friend!! All of us missed you. Love your pie. Great for summer.

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  22. Glad to see you back in blogland. Mmmmm to the pie--I agree about the topping being the best part!

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  23. Welcome back! We definitely missed you and I'm glad everything is ok! Such a lovely pie and so perfect for summer :)

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  24. I am glad you are back. I have truly missed reading your blog. I hope all is okay.

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  25. I'm glad you are back. i missed seeing those yummy goodies!!

    I hope everything is well with you and your family.

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  26. I'm so glad you're back! I didn't think you were on vacay, but I thought you were chillin' at home and enjoying your time away from the computer. I'm sorry you had a "whoa!" in your life. I'm glad all is well now.

    I appreciate the comments you left on my blog. They made me smile because they were from you. Funny thing too, because that blueberry cream cheese bacon bagel reminded me SO much of you :-)

    This pie sounds fantastic and I just bought peaches from WF yesterday, but I also just wrote a post about my husband not letting me bake with peaches because I'll "ruin them"!

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  27. Welcome back my friend, welcome back :) I def missed ya, and I'm glad everything is humpty dumpty back together again. The pie looks delicious, you really know how to show up to a party!

    And I'm with ya on the squats. I just had them yesterday, and I hit a new record for 275/7. I swear I almost didn't come back up on the last couple :)

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  28. good googa mooga, i missed you too, dawn! you always amuse me and make me hungry, and you've wasted no time in doing both again. this is one stellar pie--rarely do you see such a wonderful thickness to a peach pie and i LOVE it. the crust is wonderful too, and come on--cinnamon whipped cream? sold!

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  29. aaah, you're back :):):) so glad to see you! but i am so jealous of your pie--can i get a lesson? love peaches :)

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  30. I'm glad everything is ok & pie can only make it better

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  31. wow, wow, wow - I am so feeling the love here.
    ALL of you are amazing and so good to me. What a welcome back, wow.

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  32. I missed you too Dawn and am so glad you are back and that things in your life are getting back to normal! Someone at work just gave me a slew of fresh peaches, now I know exactly what I am going to do with them. (Yes, I've pigged out too this summer)

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  33. And welcome back. Pie looks fantastic! Take care.

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  34. DAWN!!!! I am so happy to see you bake to baking mouth watering recipes. I am sorry you had a bump in the road but I am glad you are doing better.

    The pie looks amazing as usual. You can't beat a peach pie, especially with extra crumb topping.

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  35. Even though you're not asking, we missed you of course! It's like part of my blogging world was gone for a while. I'm glad everything seems to be back on track now :) I'm glad too that during this time I was able to talk to you on Twitter.
    And now you've brought back some pie!!! With luscious peaches inside too! I can have a slice-- I haven't been pigging out at all, heh heh ;)

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  36. Welcome back and another great recipe!

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  37. Welcome back! I did miss you, you don't need to ask. :) That pie looks unreal, I looove peaches.

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  38. How great to open my email this morning and see you're back! You've been missed!
    Especially the way you add all "the good stuff", juast the way I'd like it if I were eating it! Yay! More crumbs, yay cinnamon, yay you're back!

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  39. Welcome back, and of course, when you come in with a treat, we welcome you even more. The topping is the best! How can we say no to crumbs?

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  40. Hey Dawn! So great to see you back! I am not sure what is up, but this summer has been one of turning things topsy turvey! I had to take some time off too...BUT at least I didn't miss anything major here with you! :)

    HD rules!!!

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  41. Peach freaking pie. Why didn't I think of that? Awesome.

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  42. Beautiful pie and I'm glad things are back to normal!

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  43. It looks grand!

    Glad all is well now :)

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  44. Welcome back Dawn! You've been missed! I'm glad to hear everything is back where it should be after your "whoa".......that's good to hear.
    That PIE...that PIE...oh MY! The local orchard just put the PEACHES sign out last week...I can't WAIT to make this after seeing your AMAZING photo!!!!!! :)

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  45. I love this pie! It seems so yummy!

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  46. Welcome back Dawn, I've missed your food porn!

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  47. You are back!! Oh wait I still talk to you constantly on Twitter and Facebook so you were never away just missed the kick butt postings!!

    You brought one of my favorites and threw creme fraiche in it. Time to do a happy dance.

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  48. You have completely sold that pie to me! Even the dollop of cream looks exceedingly perfect... I am in the midst of a job hunt which leaves me with a good few afternoons when I could settle in and create this for my hosts here... Thanks for sharing :) & enjoy BB!

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  49. yayyyy, I did miss you for sheezy. WElcome back. Glad things are going well. Gorgeous pie.

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  50. Welcome back! I missed your delicious recipes and gorgeous images. I kept checking almost every week and you're finally back! YAY!
    I love this pie, what a great homecoming!
    And I'm glad everything is back to settled at home. Sometimes life gives you a bit of a shake when you're getting too comfy... it's good to wake up sometimes and appreciate the important things!

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  51. I love you for doubling the crumb topping AND cinnamon whipping topping--yum

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  52. Yay, welcome back and with yummy pie filled with creme fraiche? Oh, wow!

    Sorry to hear that it was scary stuff keeping you away. I am glad to hear though that things have settled.
    ~ingrid

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  53. I'm glad you are back and that everything is back to normal. This pie looks A-MAZ-ING!!

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  54. So happy you are back...I've missed seeing all your delicious stuff. This pie was worth the wait!!

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  55. Pigmeewill loves pie. Can you make a key lime pie? I'll even let you use my keys!

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  56. I'm de-lurking to say that I've been pigging out like a maniac so don't worry! Glad to see you back. :)

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  57. So glad you're back. I've missed your lovely posts.

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