My pie-baking spurts mimic the seasons. Rhubarb pies and fresh strawberry pies are springtime favorites. Today the focus is on end-of-season peaches from the farmer's market. But my peach pie soon became a combo pie when I discovered —as I was slicing the peaches—that many of them were well past their prime. Most went onto the compost heap. Luckily the freezer was full of blueberries I stashed there after a Costco spree at the height of blueberry season.
So this slab pie, inspired by Grandpa Schulz is Peach-Blueberry. Sometimes just apples. Sometimes apple-rhubarb. Michelle got the idea to toss fresh bing cherries with the peaches when we were playing in the kitchen one day. (She pitted them, so I was happy to oblige! Michelle also lent a hand, or two, to roll the top pastry over the fruit.)
The key is to use a total of 8 cups of fruit.
Peach-Blueberry Slab Pie
3 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 egg yolk
Milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
5 cups sliced peaches
3 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not thaw)
1 recipe Vanilla Glaze (below)
1. For pastry, in a large bowl, stir together flour and salt. Use a pastry blender to cut in shortening and butter til mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Lightly beat egg yolk in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to the egg yolk to make 3/4 cup total liquid; mix well. Stir egg yolk mixture into flour mixture; mix well. Divide dough into two-thirds and one-third portions.
2. On a floured surface, roll the larger portion of dough into an 18x12-inch rectangle. Transfer carefully into a 15x10x1-inch baking pan (jelly roll pan). Pastry should hang over edges of pan. (I roll pastry around rolling pin and then unroll over baking pan.)
3. Preheat oven to 375 F. For filling, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Add peaches and blueberries. Toss to coat. Spoon into prepared crust.
4. Roll remaining dough into a 16x11-inch rectangle. Place dough over fruit. Bring bottom pastry up and over top pastry. Seal edges with tines of fork. Prick top of pastry surface all over with fork.
5. Bake in preheated oven about 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on rack. Drizzle with Vanilla Glaze.
Vanilla Glaze
In a small bowl stir together 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, and enough milk (5 to 6 tsp) to make of drizzling consistency.
