Pastry Crust
3 cups (345 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp sugar
8 oz. butter (salted), frozen
2 tbsp vegetable shortening, frozen
ice water
Sprinkling sugar
Peach Filling
8 cups firm, ripe peeled peaches, sliced
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp butter, thinly sliced
Make the pastry:
Put the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse to blend. Cut the butter and shortening into small cubes. Add to the flour and pulse until the mixture resembles course meal. Dribble 1/4 cup ice water over the surface and pulse to combine. Add up to an additional 1/4 cup ice water gradually and pulse briefly.
Turn the flour out on a clean surface. Sprinkle with water as needed and work the dough by smearing on the counter, but don’t overwork it! Divide the dough into two discs (more in the one that will become the bottom crust) and refrigerate for two hours, or overnight.
After the dough has rested, take the bottom crust portion and roll into a thin (1/8-inch or less) rectangle. Use it to line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan. The pan needs to have sides high enough to accommodate 8 cups of filling. (A pyrex glass pan is perfect.) Trim the top edge of the crust so that it hangs over the edge 1/2-inch. Cut the trimmings into small pieces, and save them to add to the filling (yes, really). Put the bottom crust in the refrigerator.
Roll out the top crust and trim it to be a 9-inch square. Save the pastry scraps as above. Cut vent holes in the top crust. Slide it onto a plate or cookie sheet and refrigerate.
Make the filling:
Preheat the oven to 425°.
Using an 8-cup Pyrix mixing bowl, add the sugar flour, salt and spices. Stir to combine. Peel and slice the peaches and add them to the mixing bowl, stirring gently until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Gently stir in the reserved pastry scraps. Pour this mixture into the prepared bottom crust. Place thin slices of butter over the filling.
Moisten the top edge of the bottom crust with water. Carefully place the top crust over the filling. Crimp to seal the crust together. Sprinkle with the sprinkling sugar if desired.
Put the dish on a baking sheet and place it in the middle of the preheated oven. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°. Bake an additional 30 – 60 minutes (or more), until the fruit is boiling and the crust is golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let it rest until cool. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Notes: Since this is treated as a cobbler, the filling will not set up. When you serve it, the crust will break up and be mixed up with the fruit filling. This is what is supposed to happen!
2022 Delicious!! I only had 6 peaches (6 cups) so added two cups of sliced Italian prune plums. It was really good. Peaches and blackberries would be good together also. This crust recipe worked very well and was excellent.
