This is a recipe I have been wanting to try for many years but always seem to forget about it when local peaches a ripe.
My parents started a tradition of taking my potty trained children peach picking. Diapers are not allowed in Peach Trees don’t you know 😉.
My son was the only one who got to go this year as one of his older sisters was under the weather and the other was competing at the State 4-H fair in Fashion Review and Creative Consumer of Fashion. The smallest girl child still refuses to consistently use the toilet so she wasn’t allowed to go. He didn’t mind having Grandma and Grandpa all to himself.
After canning up a dozen or so quarts of peaches for the winter we were left with a few extra peaches to eat. So we decided to give it a try.
The recipe comes from America’s Best Lost Recipes a cookbook we were given when we got married almost 12 years ago.
Ingredients:
Peaches and Syrup
7 medium peaches, peeled but still whole
3/4 C light brown sugar
6 Tablespoons water
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
Dough
1-1/4C Flour
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
5 Tbsp unsalted Butter cut into small pieces and chilled
6 Tbsp Milk
The puzzle in this recipe comes from the way it is prepared and then served.
Start with a 9 inch pie plate and a small oven safe bowl I used a 1 cup Pyrex bowl. Place all 7 peaches around the Pyrex bowl in the center of the pie plate. The bowl must be upside down in the pie plate.
Mix together in a saucepan the butter, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and water. Pour this over the peaches and set aside.
Mix the dough together by mixing the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together then cut in the butter with a pastry knife. When the mixture resembles crumbs slowly add the milk. Roll the dough out so that it is the size of the pie plate. Place to dough over the peaches but don’t press it against the pie plate.
It should look something like this from the bottom before going into the oven. Note all the liquid is outside the bowl.
Peaches are all sealed up and covered for baking.
Bake 400°F for 25-30 minutes. The crust should be golden when removed from the oven. Let the pie sit and cool for at least 15-30 minutes. You will notice that the syrup level will begin to decrease as the pie cools.
You will then need a plate larger than your pie plate to inver the pie onto. This is a great show moment of your hard work.
There it is the Peach Puzzle Pie!
Serve warm and remember the peaches still have their pits, spook the syrup over the peaches and crust.
Enjoy!
