Creamy, Peach Pie
Who doesn’t love peach pie? Or better yet, creamy, crumble peach pie! This creamy peach pie is absolutely delicious, and you will be blown away when you taste it for the first time.
In this blog post you will learn how to make a delicious creamy, peach pie.
How to Make the Pie Dough for this Recipe
There are a couple of options for the pie dough for this recipe.
- Purchase a Pie Crust: the easier option of the two is to purchase a pie crust from the grocery store.
- Make Your Own Pie Crust: use your own recipe or try this Flaky, Pie Dough Recipe.
Whichever option you choose, you will absolutely love the results!
Peach Pie Filling Steps
How to Make the Peach Pie Filling
While it is possible to use your own fresh peaches to make this recipe, this peach pie recipe will be focusing on using canned peaches.
You will need to strain the canned peaches and place them into a medium bowl. The juice from the canned peaches will not be needed for this recipe.
With the canned peaches in the bowl, mix in the cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and a drop of vanilla.
Set aside.
How to Make the Crumble Middle
Now the crumble middle is delicious and helps to elevate this creamy peach pie; however, if you do not want to add the crumble middle into the pie that is fine. The peach pie will still be delicious!
Mix your flour and sugar together in a medium bowl.
Cut in the butter to make your crumble middle.
Set aside.
How to Make the Cream Topping
This cream topping is amazing. It makes this peach pie just reach another level of creaminess. This step can also be omitted; however, I would suggest that if you omit the crumble middle to not omit the cream topping. If you keep the crumble, then the cream topping can be omitted. But trust me. You do not want to omit any parts to your peach pie!
In a separate bowl, separate your egg yolks from the egg whites. You will only need the egg yolks for this recipe. Whisk in your sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat your cream, remaining sugar, and salt. Bring to a low simmer. Remove from heat and pour into the yolk mixture. Mix well.
Pour mixture back into the saucepan and heat on low until bubbles begin to form on top. Remove from heat and whisk the butter and vanilla in.
Strain mixture through a sieve. Place cling film on top of cream mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before use and up to 3 days.
Peach Pie Variation – Mini Peach Pie Tarts
Do you want to make this recipe a bit different and more individualized? Try turning this one large peach pie into mini peach pie tarts. If you have mini tart tins at home, it will be much easier to make.
Take your pie dough and cut out circles that will fill the tart tins and place inside of the tart tins. Shape to the inside of the tins. Cut off the excess pie dough.
Place the peach filling into the bottom of the tart tins. Put the crumble on top and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Spoon the cream on top of them and serve!
What is Tempering?
Tempering: when making pastry cream and you need to incorporate egg yolks, gradually add a small of amount of the hot milk or cream mixture to the yolks while whisking continuously. This prevents the yolks from curdling and ensures a smooth final product.
How Do I Cut in Butter?
Cutting in butter is a technique that you can either do with a pastry cutter food processor, or your hand and some elbow grease. Cutting in butter means to take cold butter and mix it with dry ingredients to create a crumbly texture. Here is how to cut in your butter.
- Start with Cold Butter: Use butter that is cold and straight from the refrigerator. Cold butter creates pockets of fat in the dough as it melts during baking, resulting in a tender and flaky texture.
- Cube the Butter: Cut the cold butter into small cubes about 1/2 inch in size. Consequently, this makes it easier to incorporate into the dry ingredients.
- Combine with Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the cubed butter with your flour and sugar. Use a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips to work the butter into the dry ingredients.
- Pastry Blender Method: use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. By holding it in one hand and using it to cut through the butter and flour mixture, the butter will be evenly distributed, and the mixture will resemble coarse crumbs.
- Two Knives Method: Alternatively, you can use two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Hold a knife in each hand and use a slicing motion to cut the butter into the flour till it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Fingertips Method: you can also use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture. Rub the butter and flour between your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stop When Crumbly: Continue cutting in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pea-sized pieces of butter are remaining. Be careful not to overmix, as you want to maintain small pockets of butter in the dough for a flaky texture.
Ingredients
Canned Peaches: canned peaches are the main fruit component of this dessert. They provide sweetness, flavour, and moisture to the dish.
Corn Starch: corn starch is a thickening agent used to create a smooth and creamy texture in the dessert’s filling. It helps bind the liquid from the peaches and other ingredients, preventing it from being too runny.
Lemon Juice: lemon juice adds brightness and acidity to the dessert, enhancing the flavour of the peaches and balancing the sweetness of the sugar.
Sugar: sugar sweetens the dessert and enhances the natural sweetness of the peaches. It also helps to balance the tartness of the lemon juice and contributes to the overall flavour and texture of the peach crumble.
Salt: a pinch of salt enhances the flavour of the dessert by balancing the sweetness and acidity of the other ingredients. It helps to bring out the natural flavours of the peaches and adds depth to the dish.
Vanilla Extract: vanilla extract adds warmth and depth of flavour to the dessert.
Butter: butter adds richness and creaminess to the dessert’s crumble topping. It helps to create a smooth texture and adds a buttery flavour that complements the sweetness of the peaches.
All-Purpose Flour/Plain Flour: flour is used to make the crumble’s topping. It provides structure and helps to bind the ingredients together, creating a tender and flaky texture in the finished dish.
Heavy Cream/Double Cream: heavy cream helps thicken the pastry cream so that it has a more stable filling that maintains its shape well.
Egg Yolks: egg yolks are rich in proteins and emulsifiers which, when heated, coagulate and thicken the mixture, transforming it into a custard. This provides the desired consistency for pastry cream.
Tips
- Use very cold butter when cutting into your crumble topping. This will help the crumble topping be flaky and crisp with large, chunky crumbs.
- Make your pastry dough and pastry cream the day before and leave it in the fridge until you need to add it to the peach pie.
- Add a few peach halves on top of the pastry cream for an extra looking pie!
The Best Cream Peach Pie
Ingredients
For the Peach Filling:
- 5 cans of peaches strained (without juice 250g/can)
- 3 tbsp. corn starch cornflour
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1/4 c. sugar granulated
- Pinch of Salt
- Drop of vanilla extract
For the Crumble:
- ½ c. butter cold and cubed
- ¾ c. all-purpose flour plain flour
- 2/3 c. sugar granulated
For the Pastry Cream:
- 2 c. heavy cream
- 1/2 c. sugar granulated
- Pinch of Salt
- 5 Egg Yolks
- 3 tbsp. corn starch
- 4 tbsp. cold butter unsalted
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Pie Crust
Instructions
Peach Filling:
- Strain your canned peaches.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together strained peaches, corn starch, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract.
- Pour mixture into your pie crust.
Crumble:
- For the crumble topping, mix the flour and the sugar together. Then cube your butter and cut it into the flour and sugar.
- Once fully mixed in, and the topping looks like crumbs, sprinkle overtop of peach filling in the pie crust.
Pastry Cream:
- Separate your egg yolks from the egg whites. In a medium bowl, whisk your egg yolks together. Add in 2 tbsp. of sugar and continue to whisk together. Once sugar has dissolved, whisk in the cornstarch and continue to whisk until the mixture is thick and pale yellow.
- In a medium saucepan on the stove, add your heavy cream, salt, and the rest of your sugar. Stir until your sugar has dissolved.
- When the cream has reached a low simmer, whisk it into the egg yolk mixture. Mix together well and put the mixture back into the saucepan on a low heat. Whisk constantly until a few bubbles begin to emerge onto the surface and the mixture is creamy and glossy.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
- In a medium bowl put your pastry cream, and place cling film nice and tight across the cream.
- Place in the fridge for at least 3 hours before use and up to 3 days.
Assembling the Pie:
- Preheat oven to 375℉/190℃/Gas Mark 5.
- Once your peach filling and crumble is in the pie crust, bake for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and let fully cool to room temperature.
- Once the pastry cream has sat for at least 3 hours in the fridge, remove and spoon onto the top of the pie making a beautiful, smooth layer of cream.
- Serve and enjoy!