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Slices of Vanilla Bean Peach Pie on white plates with forks and topped with dollops of whipped cream, with a small bowl of cream and the rest of the pie in the background.

Vanilla Bean Peach Pie

Fresh vanilla bean is the secret to making this pie extra special, in the form of a freckled vanilla sugar that's used in 3 different places: the fresh peach filling, generously sprinkled on top of the crust, and mixed in to the freshly whipped cream as a finishing touch (the icing on the pie, if you will.)
Yield: one 9-inch pie
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 4 hours

Ingredients

For Crust:

  • 3 cups / 375 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon / 12 g sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup / 113 g 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • ½ cup / 110 g cold vegetable shortening*, cut into pieces
  • ½ cup / 120 g cold water

For Filling:

  • 1 plump vanilla bean
  • 1 cup / 200 g granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons / 24 g cornstarch
  • 1 ¾ lbs / 800 g ripe peaches, about 5-6 medium peaches or 5 cups sliced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons / 28 g cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten (for egg wash)

For Topping:

  • 1 cup / 240 g cold heavy whipping cream
  • ⅛ teaspoon guar gum*, optional, to stabilize the cream

Instructions

  • To prepare crust, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Scatter the butter and shortening over the dry ingredients, and cut in with a pastry cutter until the large clumps of the butter are broken up. Drizzle half of the water over the flour mixture and lightly mix with a fork, until the dough starts to form clumps. Squeeze some of the pastry between your fingers. If it seems a little dry, work in another teaspoon of water at a time until the appropriate texture is achieved. (Alternatively, this can be done in a food processor by pulsing a few times to combine.)
  • Using your hands, form the pastry into two balls – one slightly larger for the bottom crust. Knead each ball once or twice on a floured work surface, then flatten the balls into disks. Wrap the disks in plastic, and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight before rolling.
  • On a sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll the larger portion of the pastry into a 12-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Carefully transfer to a 9-inch standard pie pan. Gently tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, and let the overhang drape over the edge. Place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes while you make the filling.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • To make vanilla sugar, first split the vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape the seeds out of the bean and place in a food processor along with sugar. Pulse until no large clumps of the vanilla bean remain. Transfer ½ cup of the sugar to a small bowl, and whisk with the cornstarch. Set the remaining ½ cup sugar aside (this will be used on the top crust and in the whipped cream).
  • For pie filling, first peel peaches by bringing a pot of water to a boil. Cut a shallow X through the skin of the bottom of each peach, then submerge in boiling water for 30-45 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Once cool enough to handle, the skins should peel off easily. Cut each peeled peach in half (be very careful doing this as peaches will be very slippery!) then remove pits and cut into wedges, about 6 wedges per half.
  • Transfer peaches to a large mixing bowl along with lemon juice. Sprinkle half of sugar/cornstarch mixture, then gently fold to evenly coat, then add the rest, folding until peaches are evenly coated and no streaks of dry cornstarch remain.
  • On a lightly floured surface or on a sheet of floured waxed paper, roll the other half of the pastry into a 10-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Leave this whole or, if you want to make a lattice crust, slice the round into strips. You can preassemble the lattice on the waxed paper, or put it together right on top of the pie, whichever you prefer.
  • Pour the peaches into the chilled pie shell along with all juices that may have collected in the bowl, and smooth down the top with a spatula or spoon. Sprinkle butter cubes over the top of the fruit.
  • Lightly brush the rim of the pie shell with beaten egg. Invert the top pastry over the filling, and press the top and bottom pastries together to adhere, folding the bottom crust over the edge of the top crust if you have enough overhang. Crimp edges as desired. If using a solid crust rather than a lattice, cut several steam vents in the pie with a fork or paring knife.
  • Brush egg wash over the entire top crust, then sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons of vanilla sugar (you might not need it all).
  • Place pie on a baking sheet (don't skip this part or you're in for a big mess) and bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F, and rotate the pie to ensure even cooking. Continue to bake until the top is a deep golden brown and the juices visible through the vents bubble thickly, about 30 minutes more.
  • Transfer the pie to a wire rack. Let it cool for at least 2 hours, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • Just before serving, whip the cream with an electric mixer until it holds soft peaks. Once the cream starts to hold tracks, then add the remaining 1/4 cup vanilla sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until cream holds medium soft peaks. Serve a large dollop of whipped cream with each slice of pie.

Notes

  • You can use all butter in the crust if you like, but I think shortening makes the crust easier to work with, and more tender in the end.
  • If you need to make your whipped cream ahead of time, you can stabilize it by mixing in 1/8 teaspoon of guar gum in with the sugar before adding it to the cream. Stabilized whipped cream will hold its shape better and longer than non-stabilized whipped cream, especially at warmer temperatures.