Peach Pie with Pecan Streusel |Cooking With Amanda

Difficulty: Medium | Total Time: 3 hrs, plus 3 hrs cooling time | Makes: 1 (9-1/2-inch) deep-dish pie, or 8 to 10 servings

Summer brings ripe, juicy peaches, but all that juice can leave you with a soggy pie crust and runny filling. Here, we toss fresh peaches in sugar and let them sit for 30 minutes to release some of their juices. Then we strain them, toss with cornstarch and more sugar, and pile them into a deep-dish pie crust to bake for 30 minutes. Blanket the pie with pecan streusel and continue baking until it's golden brown and bubbly. Vanilla Bean Ice Cream is a traditional (and delicious) pie topping, but a scoop of Raspberry Sorbet adds classic Melba flavor.

What to buy: You can substitute nectarines for the peaches in this recipe.

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small pieces
5 to 6 tablespoons ice water

For the streusel:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small pieces
2/3 cup finely chopped pecans (about 2 1/2 ounces)

For the filling:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (from about 1 medium lemon)
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
4 pounds ripe but firm peaches (about 10 to 12 medium peaches)
All-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface
1/4 cup cornstarch

For the crust:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Toss the butter in the flour mixture until well coated. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it's reduced to pea-size pieces, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Drizzle in 5 tablespoons of the ice water and mix with your hands just until the dough comes together. (Add the last tablespoon of ice water if necessary, but don't overwork the dough or it'll become tough.)
Shape the dough into a flat disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, make the streusel.

For the streusel:

Whisk the flour, sugars, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl until combined. Add the butter and pecans and, using your fingers, squeeze the flour mixture and the butter together until they form large clumps and all of the flour is totally incorporated into the butter, about 5 minutes. (Make sure there are no dusty bits at the bottom of the bowl.)
Using your fingers, break the large clumps into irregularly shaped pieces about the size of kidney beans. Cover and place in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, make the pie filling.

For the filling and to assemble the pie:

Place 1/4 cup of the brown sugar, 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, the lemon zest, juice, and salt in a large bowl and whisk until combined.
Cut the peaches in half, remove and discard the pits, and cut the fruit into 1/2-inch slices. Add to the bowl with the sugar mixture and stir until well coated. Set the bowl aside for 15 minutes, toss the peaches, and set aside another for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the lower third. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and turn up the edges of the foil to catch the juices as the pie bakes; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 13 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. (Don't worry if the dough cracks—just press it back together.) Line a 9-1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate with the dough and trim it flush with the top edge of the pie plate. Using your fingers or the back of a fork, crimp the dough in a decorative pattern. Place the pie plate in the refrigerator until the peaches are ready.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining sugar and brown sugar with the cornstarch and set it aside. Set a colander in the sink. Pour the peach mixture into the colander, letting any excess liquid drain out, and return the peaches to the bowl. Add the cornstarch mixture and toss to combine.
Remove the pie plate from the refrigerator, pour in the filling, and spread it into an even layer. Place the pie on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the pie. Pat the streusel onto the peaches to adhere.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and return the pie to the oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is thick and bubbling, about 50 minutes to 1 hour more. Check the pie after 40 minutes: If the streusel is starting to look too dark, loosely cover the top of the pie with a sheet of aluminum foil.
When the pie is done, remove it from the oven, discard the top sheet of foil (if using), and let it sit on the baking sheet until the fruit stops bubbling, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and let the filling set before slicing, at least 3 hours.