A Generous Table

Brown Sugar & Cardamom Peach Pie

Pie is the new cupcake – mark my words!  It’s classic Americana –  comforting and easy.  Now that Colorado Peach Season is in full swing,  celebrate with this yummy pie!  (sorry Georgia, but your peaches don’t even come close to the ones we get from the Western Slope!) The caramel richness of brown sugar and the bright tones of cardamom really accent peaches nicely.  I feel that pie filling should really highlight the taste of the fruit, so very little spice is added.  Taste a peach first and adjust the sugar accordingly – you want to enhance the sweet-tart fruitiness, not cover it up!  Using cornstarch as a thickener gives a pretty and clear filling.  Just remember to let it cool before cutting, or the filling will run out and make for a not so pretty presentation.

Brown Sugar Cardamom Peach Pie

For a 9” Pie:         

• 6 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced ( 8 – 10 peaches)
• 2/3 to 1 cup brown sugar (depending on sweetness of fruit)
• 2Tbs cornstarch (preferred)  or ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, if needed
• Pie crust for a double crust 9″ pie

 Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Let the mix sit 15 minutes to let the juices run. Taste and correct the sweeteness.  If filling is bland, add up to one tablespoon of lemon juice.  Pour filling into a pie plate lined with one crust and cover with a top crust.  Crimp the edges and make sure to vent the top.  Bake at 400F until filling is bubbling out of the crust vents and crust is golden, about 1 hour.  If pastry edges start to get to dark, cover them with foil.  Let cool at least 1 hour before cutting.  Serves 8.  (Or 4 serious pie lovers.)