Recipe: Low-Sugar Spicy Peach Pie

So I've been p*ssing-and-moaning - like I do EVERY year - about "What the #$%^ am I gonna do with all these peaches?!"

I actually feel kinda bad about the quantity of peaches that have ended up rotting on the ground this year - but "What're ya gonna do, right?!"

When I made my two batches of peach-jam, I had a few leftover nekkid peaches (which were left sitting in a bowl with a couple-three generous 'squirts' of bottled lemon juice).  I was surprised at how *quickly* they took-on the color/consistency of "Canned Peaches" (ICK!).  There is definitely something to be said for Freezer Jams (they really DO do a good job of retaining that "fresh-picked flavor!") - but I can't fill-up the freezer this year (Gonna buy a 4-H Pig next month!!!  Story coming!!!).

Annnnnyyyyywaaaaaaayyyyyy...  Not gonna ramble!

I did end-up pawning-off a couple of bags of fresh peaches to Grateful Neighbors (Yay!).  And the rest were destined for Fresh Peach Pie!

Again, I mostly-followed a previous recipe for Blueberry-Peach Pie - only, this time, I made just ONE pie.  And it was ALL peach:

QT's Low-Sugar Spicy Peach Pie
Yields: 1 x 9" deep-dish pie (double the recipe if you want more!)

Ingredients:

• 6-7 good-sized peaches (I think it netted-out around 4-5 cups - after blanching, skinning, de-pitting and chopping)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup + 1 TBS granulated Splenda
• 1 TBS bottled lemon juice
• 3 TBS Quick-cook Tapioca
• 1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
• couple of shakes of "Pumpkin Pie Spice" (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice)
• couple shakes of salt
• 2 TBS softened butter
• Crust for 9" deep-dish pie
• 1 egg-white, beaten with a little water
• Sprinkling of coarse granulated sugar

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425*
2. Remove crusts from refrigerator/freezer (if you're cheating, like me!)
3. Blanch, peel and de-pit your peaches.  See this post for detailed instructions.  Chop the peaches into large-ish (3/4-1") chunks.  Put the peach-chunks in a large-ish bowl.
4. Mix up the dry ingredients in a dry bowl: Tapioca, sugar, Splenda, spices.
5. Add the sweeteners/spices to the fruit and mix well.
6. Combine one egg-white with a tsp of water.  Mix well with a fork.  Brush the bottom of your frozen pie-crust with the egg-white mixture.
7. Dump your fruit/spice/sweetener mixture into the bottom crust.  Heap-it up to no more than 3/4" above the top-edge of the bottom crust.
8. Blorp some butter on top of the fruit-gloop.
9. Dampen the outer-edges of the bottom crust with a finger dipped-in warm water.
10. Add the top crust.  Cut off any excess and seal the bottom+top crusts together with your fingers.
11. Cut a vent hole in the center of the top crust, along with appx 8 vent "slits" in a radiating pattern, out from the center vent-hole.
12. Brush top with egg-white/water mixture and dust with large-grain granulated sugar ("Clear Sprinkles" from the baking section of the grocery store)
13. Place the completed pie on a foil-lined baking sheet and cook at 425* for appx 40 minutes until golden brown (depends on your oven temp....  Mine was in a Microwave/Convection oven and took 50 minutes).
14. Allow to cool, thoroughly, before serving...

Serve with fresh whipping cream or vanilla ice cream.  ENJOY!!!