Angela's Rustic Peach Pie Recipe

Peaches. The most beloved stone fruit in my opinion. I literally don’t know a single person who doesn’t like peaches. Seriously. If you don’t, comment on this post – I want to hear from you! Peaches are good in smoothies, tea, cake, muffins, and… pie. Peaches are even good fresh off the tree. And that is what brings us here today – peach trees.

Some time ago, scrolling through Facebook, we came across this map of West Chester. It was a really cool, beautifully hand-drawn map of our historic hometown. But, there was something that really stuck out to us – see for yourself:

Map of West Chester, PA by Jessie Husband Designs

Did you spot it? I’ll give you a hint: it’s below the peaches. This local artist, Jessie Husband, brought this quirky and interesting fact to light; “In 1898, West Chester was the largest producer of peaches in the U.S.” We thought this was incredibly cool and decided to do some research of our own.

So, we googled it and found this article. Apparently back in the day the Hoopes brothers (yes, Hoopes like the park) owned 600 acres of land just northeast of the West Chester borough. On the property, they grew and sold a variety of trees, shrubbery, fruit, and flowers, but their #1 seller was the peach tree.

For some reason, we felt warmed by this idea. West Chester is full of history but this fact was just so unique. Peach trees grown right here in our backyard were traveling throughout the U.S. in 1898, before the airplane was even invented. Eventually, those peaches ended up in the homes of families, probably canned or baked into a pie – but eventually shared as a sweet summer treat.

Where the Peaches Grow

Once we learned that, we thought “how fun would it be to go to a local West Chester Orchard, bring back some locally grown peaches, and make our favorite summer dessert – peach pie!” Angela Payson and her daughter, Juliette, were so excited to connect with history in such a delicious way, and when we thought of a local orchard to pick some peaches, of course, we thought of Highland Orchards.

Highland Orchards has been a staple of the West Chester community since 1941. They have a variety of seasonal pick-your-own fruits and vegetables, but right now (you might’ve guessed it) is peach picking season! Peach picking is available at Highland Orchards throughout Labor Day weekend. But don’t worry if you miss it! The fall is coming and they will have apples and pumpkins to satisfy all your fall fantasies. Definitely stop in to grab some of their infamous Apple Cider Donuts! Click here to visit their website.

After a ride in the shuttle through the orchards, a stop in the sunflower fields, and some prime peach picking, Angela and Juliette headed back to the COCOON Design Studio to bake their peach pies.

If you want to bake Angela’s rustic peach pie, follow the recipe below!

Angela’s Rustic Peach Pie Recipe

Cooking Time: 38 mins
Serves: 8
Preheat Oven to 425*
What You Need:

Peach Filling

6 cups of sliced peaches
1/3 cup of flour
2/3 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp lemon

Pie Crust & Lattice

3/4 cup of butter
1/4 cup boiling water
1 tbsp milk
2 cups of flour

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 425*
Slice the peaches thinly and place in bowl.
In another bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
Stir the mixture into the peaches.
Add the lemon and the butter.
Mix well and set aside.
Combine butter, hot water and milk in a bowl until smooth.
Stir in flour and salt.
Divide in half.
Cover your surface in flour and then roll out half of the pie crust so it fits in the pie dish.
Place the pie crust in the pie dish, making sure it covers the sides, and prebake it for 8 mins.
While the crust is prebaking, roll out the other half of the pie dough into a similar shape and then cut it in thin strips.
Once the pie crust has baked for 8 mins, remove it from the oven and fill it with the peach filling.
Then, place the individual strips of pie dough across the top of the pie in a criss-cross pattern. Like Angela says, “It doesn’t have to look pretty, it just has to taste good.”
Once that is complete, pinch the edges of your pie to seal it shut.
Return it to the oven and allow it to bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
Remove, let cool and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Feeling Peachy Keen in the Kitchen

After spending the day in the orchard, and the kitchen, Angela and Juliette couldn’t wait to share their pies with the COCOON team. That’s the magic of meals – a hunt for ingredients, and a baking lesson, become a memory – with some pretty sweet results! If you’re looking to make some magical meals but your kitchen is feeling lackluster, reach out to us, we would love to help you transform your space! And who knows? Maybe you’ll feel so inspired, you’ll make your family a pie and create a memory of your own.

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