Every year on my birthday for as long as I can remember, I requested a peach pie from Marie Callendar's. My family's "cake", THE cake, is eaten all spring/summer long (3 in May, and yes, they each have to have their own!) and by the time it's my birthday, I'm all chocolated out. Plus, I have never been a huge chocolate girl, I will take a fruit dessert over anything chocolate. I am a pie, cobbler, crisp and crumple girl through and through!
A few years ago my mom's peach tree started blossoming and the search for a peach pie glaze began! My mom finally came up with the perfect storm. She has always been there to make me one, but this year is the first time she isn't around since I was born (we will try not to focus on that though). So in her memory, I whipped up my own! With her recipe, of course :)
1/2 cup peaches
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/4 tsp almond extract (I do more because I love it)
1/4 tsp nutmeg (opt)
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp corn starch
1/2 tsp Fresh Fruit
Now this was all she sent me so I had to figure out the rest for myself.
I wasn't sure what she meant by 1/2 cup peaches so I didn't add that, but I'm guessing that just gives the glaze the oomph of peach flavor. Maybe a puree or mash would be good.
I mixed the cornstarch with the sugar and nutmeg before I added the water, and I didn't have Fresh Fruit so I left it out. It is to help the fruit from turning brown, but my pie stayed fine for a couple days, which it probably won't last much longer than that anyway!
It thickened up pretty quick (keep an eye on it constantly, I wasn't paying attention and it thickened up a little too much on me) and then I added the butter and almond extract after I turned off the heat.
I took my sliced/chunked peaches and tossed with cinnamon ( they were ripe and there was so much sugar in the glaze that I didn't figure it needed any more) and then gooped them all up and filled my graham cracker crust. I stuck some fresh peaches on top and nestled them in the rest of the pie glaze and then in the fridge it goes to get nice and cold! Don't forget your whipped cream!
