1950's Peach Pie

I found a vintage Betty Crocker cookbook at my favorite consignment shop called Mona Lisa's and thought I'd see how they cooked back in 1953. If you can look past all the pictures of women in heels and aprons, this cookbook has some killer recipes!! This pie was to die for. Enough said.

This recipe makes one 9" pie with a top crust.

Ingredients:


Crust:
2 C sifted flour
tsp salt
2/3 C shortening + 2 Tbsp
4 Tbsp. Water

Filling:
7/8 C sugar (If your peaches are ripe like mine were, I'd say cut a little sugar if you're into that)
4 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
4 C fresh, peeled, sliced peaches
1 1/3 Tbsp butter (Who has a 1/3 Tbsp measuring spoon these days? No worries, it's the same as 1 tsp)

1. Measure the flour into the mixing bowl and mix the salt through it.

2. With pastry blender, cut in half the shortening finely until mixture looks like meal. (This makes for tenderness)

3. Cut in the remaining shortening coarsely until particles are the size of giant peas. (This makes for flakiness)

4. Sprinkle with the water, a tbsp  at a time mixing lightly with fork until all the flour is moistened.

5. Gather dough together with the fingers so it cleans the bowl.

6. Press into a ball. Then roll out, or keep in waxed paper in refrigerator until needed.

7. Divide dough about in half. Round up larger part on lightly floured surface. flatten with hand, then roll out not quite 1/8" thick. Work quickly and roll lightly, being careful not to add extra flour as that makes pastry tough.

8. Keep pastry circular and roll it about 1" larger around than the pie pan to line pan and allow for depth.  Fold pastry in half and quickly transfer to pan. Unfold, and pat and fit pastry down into pan, avoiding stretching the dough. Trim the overhanging edges with scissors.

9. Repeat with second crust except trimming of course!

10. For the filling, mix together all ingredients except the butter. Transfer fruit mixture into pastry-lined pie pan and then dot with the butter.

11. Cover with top crust and make several slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Trim any extra edges.

12. Fold hte extra edge of top pastry under edge of lower pastry. Seal thoroughly by pressing together on edge of pan. Build up a fluted edge by crimping the edge with thumb and forefingers.

13. Bake at 425 for 35-45 minutes.


If your pie turned out like mine, there will be nothing left of it and you will realize that you never took a picture of the finished product. Oops :)


Printable Version