Double-Crust Peach Pie with Honey, Ginger, and Lime

Unless you’re from a place with notoriously lovely peaches, you might find yourself wondering why peaches are never terrible but rarely magnificent. Well, don’t feel too bad, because when baked into a buttery crust along with fresh ginger, tangy lime juice, and the most flavorful honey you can find, any peach from any place can be magnificent.

YIELD — 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 recipe (2 disks) The Only Piecrust

• All-purpose flour, for rolling

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 4 pounds ripe peaches, unpeeled, pitted and sliced ½ inch thick (10 to 12 cups)

• ⅓ cup mild honey

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon lime zest

• ¼ cup fresh lime juice

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

• Pinch of kosher salt

• ½ cup Demerara sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of pie dough into a round about 14 inches in diameter. Transfer it to the parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining disk of dough, separating the two rounds with a piece of parchment to make it easier to separate them. Pop the baking sheet in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

3. Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water and set aside (this is your egg wash, and it will help seal the pie and make it golden brown on top).

4. In a large bowl, toss the peaches, honey, granulated sugar, lime zest, lime juice, cornstarch, ginger, and salt together. Toss a few times to break up any clumps of cornstarch.

5. Transfer one round of pie dough to a 9-inch pie plate, letting it slump in the center with an even distribution of crust around the edges. Using your fingers, encourage the crust to fit snugly against the pie dish. Add the filling, letting it sort of mound in the center (it’ll distribute evenly as it bakes). Brush the edges of the pie dough with the egg wash. Place the remaining round of pie dough over the peaches (the crust will be full, and that’s okay) and, using your fingers, press the dough together around the edges to seal.

6. From here, you can crimp the edge any way you like. I am into the very low-maintenance version where you simply crimp with the tines of a fork (think: Pop-Tarts), then trim any excess overhang with kitchen shears. Make a few 3-inch slits in the top to allow moisture and steam to escape as the pie bakes. This is a necessary step that allows the filling to thicken properly, as well as ensures a flaky, crunchy crust.

7. Brush the top with the egg wash and sprinkle with the Demerara sugar. Place the pie on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet and bake for at least 60 minutes before you even think about checking on it. I’m serious. Pies take a really long time to bake, much longer than most people actually keep them in the oven. I sound like a broken record over here, but I feel very passionately about this and need my voice to be heard.

8. After about an hour, rotate the pie; it’ll likely need another 30 to 45 in there. Yes, I am serious!

9. The piecrust should be the color of a perfect croissant all over—dangerously golden, almost to the brink of “Is my pie burned?” (No.) If the edges start to get too dark for your liking before the top is ready, place thin strips of foil over the parts that are getting too far ahead of the game.

10. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely before eating. To me, that means about 4 hours, but people get really upset when you tell them they should wait that long, so do what you please.