OLD-FASHIONED PEACH PIE WITH BERRY SAUCE

My fridge is loaded with peaches but, thankfully, we had company for dinner last night so I used some of them for this peach pie. This recipe is old; I don't remember the source, but I have made it a few times, and it's a winner. Everyone loves it; the flavors are perfect. This time, though, I served it with a berry sauce instead of whipped cream or ice cream, and it was even better, if that could be possible. I had exactly one pie crust left in the freezer (my favorite recipe makes 4 crusts), so it got used. Instead of rolling it in flour, I rolled it in self-rising cornmeal, and the result was very nice; it made the crust a little firmer while not interfering with the tenderness and flakiness. I will definitely do that again when I make another fruit pie.

The first photo of a pie slice was taken when the pie was room temperature. It kind of drooped on the plate and wasn't anything beautiful to behold. The bottom photo was taken after a night in the fridge. It definitely sits up better after being chilled. This pie tastes great when it's first made and tastes wonderful the next day after chilling out. It's just a great pie! Oh, and if the heavy cream bothers you, consider this: there's only one crust, so remember that you are losing the fat that would have been in the top crust; there's no butter in the peach filling; and, a berry sauce instead of ice cream or whipped cream will eliminate even more fat. All in all, it's pretty much a washout; and this pie is no more fat-laden than any other.

Old-Fashioned Peach Pie with Berry Sauce
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1 pie crust for a 9" pie plate

5-1/2 to 6 cups fresh sliced peaches

2 tsp. lemon juice

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/8 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking pan with tinfoil. Roll out pie pastry to fit a 9" pie plate; make a high-standing rim around edge; set aside. Peel and slice peaches into a large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Heat cream and tapioca in small saucepan to boiling point; remove from heat and stir in sugar, salt and cinnamon. Arrange peaches in pie shell. Pour cream mixture over peaches. Place pie on lined baking pan and bake 50 - 55 minutes, or until crust is browned and peach filling is bubbling. (Note: I covered my crust with a pie shield after the first 20 minutes, so it wouldn't burn.) Serve pie with ice cream, whipped cream, creme fraiche or berry sauce. Yield: 8 servings.