Peach Crumble Pie

Peach crumble pie is the perfect way to celebrate seasonal peaches. Delicious, tender peach slices are layered over a sweet shortcrust pastry, topped with a rich, buttery crumble. This surprisingly simple dessert can be made in no time at all.

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Gorgeous peaches, apricots, plums, and nectarines are in season now. I love fruits in tarts, pies, and cakes, and I absolutely adore peaches. We also made a lovely peach and apricot upside-down cake this week. This one is a family favorite and gets done every single year.

Why make this pie?

• This recipe is for anyone who loves pie with fresh fruits. Today, I am using fresh peaches, but nectarines, apricots, and figs are also perfect.
• While it looks like a lot of work, almost everything can be made ahead of time.
• There are three components to this recipe:
  • Pastry – I am using sweet shortcrust pastry, but you can also use a rich shortcrust pastry. It is very easy to make a shortcrust pastry at home, but you can also use a store-bought one for this recipe.
  • Fruit – Poaching the fruit makes a wonderfully soft peach filling buried under the crumble.
  • Crumble – The color of the crumble will depend on the sugar you use. I have used white sugar, so the color is fairly white. In contrast, brown sugar gives a caramel color. Both are equally delicious.

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Ingredients and substitutes

• Peach – I used four large peaches, but you can use more or fewer. Four cups of chopped peaches would be a good quantity for a 9-inch tart. You can also use nectarine, apricots, or plums.
• All-purpose flour – Regular plain flour (maida) is all you need for these pies. Do not use any self-raising flour, as it contains more leavening.
• Butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the quantity of sugar in my recipe. And yet, if salted butter is all you have, go ahead and use it. Just omit salt in the recipe.
• Sugar – I prefer white sugar because I like its white color. However, feel free to use the same amount of light brown sugar. I would not recommend using dark brown sugar.
• Crust – I am using homemade sweet shortcrust pastry, which is made similarly to a pie crust with sugar added. You can use a store-bought shortcrust pastry that is readily available in any supermarket these days.

Step-by-step instructions

Pie Crust

• In a food processor, add the flour, salt, and chilled cubed butter. Pulse for 30 seconds until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
  Pro tip – You can also do this in a bowl using a pastry blender or fork.
• Combine the egg with cold water and add it to the mixture. Pulse or combine for 30 seconds more.
  Pro tip – The mixture will still be crumbly, but when squished with your fingers, it will shape into a dough. So, don’t overmix or pulse too much.
• Pour the mixture onto a work surface. Bring all the crumbs together and shape them into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20 to 30 minutes or until firm enough to roll.
  Pro tip – If you flatten the dough into a larger disc, it will chill faster, and you will have to wait for much less time.

Roll and bake

• Roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Start with a tapping motion, then roll from the center out.
  Pro tip – If the dough cracks too much, it means it’s too cold. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Use your 9-inch pie pan as a guide to determine how big you need to roll the dough. When you reach the desired size, transfer the dough without cracking. Gently fit it to the pan, especially on the bottom edges.
  Pro tip – To transfer the dough without cracking too much, I roll it onto my rolling pin and then unroll it over the pan.
• Remove the excess dough and neaten the edges of the pie pan
  Pro tip – I like to roll my rolling pin over the tart to cut off the excess around the edges. Then, neaten the edges by running your thumb along the edges.
• Chill the pie crust in the fridge for 15 minutes up to 48 hours.
  Pro tip – If leaving for a long time, make sure to wrap it in plastic so it does not dry out.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F/190 °C/Gas Mark 4. Prick the pastry all over with the tines of a fork to prevent the dough from puffing.
• Line the pastry with parchment paper and pour in some baking beans or pie weights.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes with the pie weights. Remove the baking paper and pie weights.

Filling

• Blanch peaches – Score the peach skins and place them in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. Then drop them in cold water for another minute or two. The skins should now peel off easily. Drain completely to prevent excess moisture in the tart. Chop the peaches into slices.
• Peach Filling – Place the chopped peaches in a bowl. Add sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and spices. Combine well.
  Pro tip – Do not prepare the fruit too early, as it will release too much juice. We want the filling to have a syrup consistency.

Crumble

• Combine all the crumble ingredients in a bowl. Using your fingers, pastry blender, or food processor, cut the butter cubes into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Assemble & Bake

• Pour the mixture evenly into the partially baked crusts. Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over the peaches.
• Continue to bake in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes. If the edges of the pie brown too quickly, tent with the foil or pie shield. Remove the tart and cool to room temperature.
• This tart can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold. My favorite is room temperature with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

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More tarts with fruit

• Cream cheese nectarine tart
• Nectarine Frangipani tart
• Fresh fig tart or Apricot Tart
• Blueberry Tart Recipe or Strawberry Tart
• Apple tart or apple tarte tatin
• Classic apple pie or Apple crumble tart

Frequently asked questions

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