I went berry picking again today; summer tradition and all. July means raspberries, blueberries, red and black currants. And the peaches at the orchard / farm that I typically go to are becoming ripe. So, I thought that I would make this Peach Currant Streusel Pie as a surprise present for someone. Peaches were very sweet and the currants are a very nice balance. Yummy.
Ingredients
for the pastry
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
3-6 tablespoons ice cold water
for the filling
6 large ripe peaches, pit removed, peeled and cut to 1 inch chunks
1 pint fresh red currants
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons corn starch
For the Streusel topping
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons coarse sugar
Directions
Prepare your crust: In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter, blending until the mixture resembles coarse sand (with some larger pieces of butter). Add in four or five tablespoons of the ice water, using a fork to mix the dough together. Add more water, one tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together in a slightly crumbly ball. Turn the dough out to a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to shape the dough into a flattened disc.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours (up to 24 hours).
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9 or 10 inch pie plate with baking spray.
In a work bowl, combine the prepared fruit, sugar, spices and corn starch. Blend thoroughly. The mixture will have a slightly cloudy look from the corn starch. In another work bowl, Whisk together the granulated sugar, flour, spices and sugar. Cut in the butter with your fingers or a fork until it looks like coarse sand.
On a lightly floured counter, roll out your pie dough to 1/4 inch thick. Line the prepared pie plate with the rolled out dough, removing any excess and making a pretty rim. Pour in the fruit mixture and then sprinkle over the streusel topping. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the filling in bubbling and peeking through the crumble top. Let cool for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving.
