Strawberry Peach Pie

Why I Love This Recipe

I have a confession to make you guys. Up until about a year ago I didn't like pie. Whaaaaat. Who am I? It was the last little shred of me being a picky eater. But that all changed and I have Matt + Adam to thank! You see, when 2 of your best friends have you over for dinner on a regular basis and they are obsessed with pie, you pretty much can bet that it's going to make an appearance at every dinner party. The first time I was like, oh no, I'm good with no dessert. The second time, I had a little slice but I was being a brat and didn't eat it all. By the third time I was shoveling it into my face and couldn't get enough!! Adam makes a pie like no one else. The crust is perfect. The fillings are always farmers market fresh AND seeing as how he's a food stylist extraordinary, you can bet that they are always insta-friendly. He learned from the pie goddess herself - Kate McDermott and if you're reading this Kate... THANK YOU!!

So I'm officially over my pie aversion and I'm on the pie train. So in honor of posting my first REAL pie recipe, complete with an actual crust and lattice topping, we're making a Strawberry Peach Pie. It's quite possibly the best summer dessert and once you make it you will know why!! Stay tuned because on Friday we're getting even more crazy with pie!! If you are not into the full pie situation, you should totally check out this delicious Mixed Berry Peach Galette.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• All Purpose Flour
• Leaf Lard
• Butter
• Kosher Salt
• Ice Water

For the Filling:

• Peaches
• Strawberries
• White Sugar
• Nutmeg
• Salt
• Flour
• Tapioca
• Butter
• Egg White
• Water

*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.

Substitutions & Swaps

🥧 Pie Crust Fat

• All-butter crust (16 tablespoons total butter) - Skipping the lard entirely and going all butter gives you a deeply golden, richly flavored crust. Less flaky than the lard combo but the flavor payoff is excellent if lard is hard to source.
• Vegetable shortening - A 1:1 swap for the leaf lard. Shortening has a similar high melting point which creates those distinct flaky layers, though it contributes less flavor than lard so lean on good butter quality here.

🍑 Peaches

• Nectarines - A seamless 1:1 swap. Nectarines have the same sugar content and texture as peaches but with a slightly firmer flesh that holds up beautifully during the long bake without turning mushy.
• Frozen sliced peaches (thawed and drained) - When fresh peaches are out of season, frozen work well. Thaw completely and pat dry before using. You will lose some liquid during thawing so reduce the tapioca slightly to avoid an overly thick filling.
• Apricots - Halved or quartered fresh apricots bring a more tart, concentrated stone fruit flavor. They release less juice than peaches so you can back off the tapioca by about a quarter teaspoon.
• Plums - Black or Italian prune plums add a deep, jammy quality that pairs beautifully with strawberries. Their natural acidity balances the sugar well, giving the filling a more complex flavor profile.

🍓 Strawberries

• Raspberries - A cup-for-cup swap that adds bright acidity and a more intense berry flavor. Raspberries break down faster than strawberries so the filling will be slightly saucier, which is a good thing.
• Blackberries - Their earthy, slightly tart flavor creates a more complex filling alongside the peaches. Keep them whole so they hold their shape during the bake rather than dissolving into the fruit.
• Frozen strawberries (thawed and drained well) - Works when fresh are not available or past their prime. Drain thoroughly and measure after thawing since frozen berries compact. Blot with paper towels to pull out excess moisture before mixing.
• Cherries (pitted) - Sweet Bing or sour Montmorency cherries both work. Sour cherries keep the filling from being too cloying and have a classic pie flavor that marries well with ripe summer peaches.

🧂 Sugar and Spice

• Raw cane sugar or turbinado - Swap in for the white sugar in the filling for a subtle molasses depth that rounds out the acidity of the strawberries. Also stunning for the sprinkling on top since the large crystals stay crunchy after baking.
• Honey (3 tablespoons in place of ⅓ cup sugar) - Wildflower or orange blossom honey adds floral notes that really complement ripe peaches. Since honey is sweeter and adds liquid, reduce by about a third and expect a slightly softer set in the filling.
• Cardamom (pinch, added alongside nutmeg) - Ground cardamom pairs exceptionally well with both peaches and strawberries. Use just a small pinch as it is potent. It adds a citrusy, slightly floral warmth that makes the whole pie taste more nuanced.
• Cinnamon (¼ teaspoon in place of or alongside nutmeg) - A classic warm spice that amplifies the sweetness of summer fruit without overpowering it. If you use both cinnamon and nutmeg, keep the nutmeg to just a whisper so neither dominates.

How to Make Strawberry Peach Pie

Step 1: Combine all dough ingredients except the ice water in a large bowl. With clean hands, blend the mixture together until it looks like coarse meal with some lumps in it.

Step 2: Sprinkle ice water over mixture and stir lightly with a fork. Squeeze a handful of dough together. If it doesn't keep together, add a bit more water.

Step 3: Divide the dough in half and make two chubby disks about 5 inches across.

Step 4: Wrap the disks separately in plastic wrap and chill for about an hour. Once chilled, take out one disk and put it on a well floured board.

Step 5: Sprinkle some flour onto the top of the disk. Thump the disk with your rolling pin several times. Turn it over and thump the other side. Sprinkle more flour onto the top of the crust if needed to keep the pin from sticking and roll the crust out from the center in all directions.

Step 6: When it is an inch or so larger than your pie pan, fold the dough over the top of the pin and lay it in the pie pan carefully.

Step 7: Combine the peaches, strawberries, sugar, nutmeg, salt, flour, and tapioca in a big bowl and gently mix all together.

Step 8: Spoon the filling into pastry in the pie plate (with the dough) and dot with little pieces of butter.

Step 9: To make a lattice, once the dough is rolled out, cut strips of dough and then weave them into a lattice on top. Trim any excess dough from the edges and crimp the sides of the 2 pieces of dough together.

Step 10: Brush crust with some egg white wash and sprinkle evenly and lightly with 1-2 teaspoons of sugar. Place pie in refrigerator to chill while oven is preheating to 425° F.

Step 11: Bake at 425° F on the middle rack for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 35 minutes more or until done. You should see steady bubbling and steaming coming through the lattice or vents when it is done. Let cool before serving.

How to Store Strawberry Peach Pie

You can store this pie in the fridge for 3-4 days. When its time to eat, warm it in the oven or leave it out if you prefer eating at room temperature.

How to Freeze Strawberry Peach Pie

You can freeze pie in cling wrap or freezer bags for about 3 months. To thaw, leave it in the fridge overnight and warm it in the oven at 350F till its warmed through to your liking. You can cover it with foil if the top to prevent the top from burning.

Tips & Tricks

You can always do a solid crust on top - just make slits for steam to escape.

🍓🍑🥧 Tips & Tricks for the Best Strawberry Peach Pie

The ultimate summer pie packed with juicy peak-season fruit tucked inside the flakiest, most buttery crust you will ever make.

• Stop mixing the dough the moment it just holds together when squeezed. Overworking pie dough develops gluten, which makes the crust tough and chewy. You want visible pea- to walnut-sized pieces of fat still intact in the dough when you wrap and chill it.
• Chill the dough disks for a full hour before rolling. Resting allows the gluten to relax so the dough rolls out without snapping back, and it firms the fat back up so those flaky layers are preserved through rolling and shaping.
• Taste your fruit before adding sugar and adjust accordingly. Peak-season peaches and strawberries vary wildly in sweetness. If your fruit is very ripe and sweet, ⅓ cup of sugar is right. If it tastes tart or underripe, add an extra tablespoon so the filling is balanced rather than puckery.
• Brush the top crust with egg white wash, not a whole egg wash. Egg white wash gives the crust a beautiful, shiny, lightly golden finish without the deep amber color that a full egg wash produces. It also helps the extra sugar sprinkled on top adhere and caramelize evenly.
• Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of the pie right before it goes into the oven. Sugar applied to an unbaked crust with egg white wash underneath will caramelize and create a slightly crunchy, sparkly top. Applying it too early causes the sugar to dissolve into the wash and you lose that texture entirely.
• Let the baked pie rest for at least two hours before slicing. The tapioca and flour thickeners need time to set as the pie cools. Cutting into a hot pie means the filling will run everywhere. A fully cooled pie holds clean, beautiful slices that showcase the fruit.
• Roll your lattice strips from the second dough disk before refrigerating them briefly. Chilling the cut lattice strips for 10 to 15 minutes on a sheet pan firms them back up so they hold their shape during weaving and do not tear or stretch when you lay them over the filling.

FAQs

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