Boozy Snooki Peach Pie

Mix peaches in a bowl with 3/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, and 2 tablespoons butter.

For the crust, I used the Better Homes & Gardens red plaid cookbook recipe.  It is the simplest and best out there.  Before we move on though, a few important things to remember about pie crusts:

a. Always use butter, high quality butter.

b. Keep the butter, water and/or vodka, and dough as cold as possible. Work fast and handle the dough as little as possible.  If the dough becomes too warm, refrigerate before continuing,

c. When transferring dough to the pie pan, do not stretch, this will cause shrinkage during baking.

I use butter from a local dairy.  It comes in a tub, so measuring is a little tricky.

Cut butter into flour with a pastry cutter.  Pieces should be pea-sized.  A pastry cutter is a must if you are making pie crusts. 

Cut in 8-10 tablespoons freezer-temperature vodka in place of water to make a flakier crust.

Flour and butter mixture post vodka.  It should still seem dry.

Quickly form dough into 2 disks.  Handle the dough as little as possible.

Flatten dough and roll into a circle roughly 12 inches in diameter.  This is where a cold marble rolling pin is very handy to keep the dough cold.

Wrap dough around rolling pin and ease into pie pan.  Do not stretch the dough.  Transfer prepared filling into pie pan. Roll out remaining dough, same as first dough.  Transfer to top of pie.  Press edges together with fingers or fork edge.  I am not a fancy edge pie person – it needs to taste amazing, not look pretty to be on the cover of a magazine. Notice the rough edges below.

Cut vents for steam to escape.  These can be simple lines or a fancy design, such as shapes, letters or numbers.

Brush top with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Wrap edges in foil to prevent over-browning.

Place a sheet of foil with edges turned up on bottom rack to catch drippings.

Bake in 425° oven for 20 minutes.  Remove foil from edges.  Reduce heat to 350° and bake for 30 to 40 more minutes.  Insides should be bubbling and crust golden.

Cool on wire rack.  I firmly believe that a pie is always better with ice cream and on the second day, after it has had a day to set up.

Boozy Snooki Peach Pie

1. Peel and slice 4 lbs of peaches into approximately 3/4-inch cubes.

2.  Mix peaches in a bowl with 3/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, and 2 tablespoons butter.

For Crust:

1. Cut 2/3 cup butter into 2-1/4 cups flour with a pastry cutter.  Pieces should be pea-sized.

2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold vodka over part of flour and butter mixture.  Toss gently with fork.  Push moistened dough to one side of bowl.  Repeat using 1 tablespoon at a time until all flour is moistened, use 8-10 total tablespoons of cold water/vodka mixture.  Divide in half; form into 2 disks.

3.  On a lightly floured surface, use hands to slightly flatten dough.  Roll into a circle approximately a 12 inches in diameter.

4.  Wrap pastry dough around rolling pin and carefully transfer to pie pan.  Do not stretch the dough, this will cause shrinking during baking.  Trim excess dough off, if needed.  Transfer prepared filling to pie pan.

5.  Roll remaining dough into circle about 12 inches in diameter.  Cut slits to allow steam to vent.  Place pastry over filling, trim excess to 1/2 inch past edge of pie pan.  Press edges together with fingers or using a fork.

6.  Brush top with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Wrap edges in foil to prevent over-browning.

7.  Place a sheet of foil with edges turned up on bottom rack to catch drippings.

Bake in 425° oven for 20 minutes.  Remove foil from edges.  Reduce heat to 350° and bake for 30 to 40 more minutes.  Insides should be bubbling and crust golden.

 The peaches are almost too good to be real!

 P.S. The pie doesn’t taste like vodka at all.