French chef and restaurateur Auguste Escoffier created the original Peach Melba dessert in honor of 1890s songbird Nellie Melba. (Melba toast is another story.) The simple, albeit spot-on fresh fruit dessert calls for the inspired pairing of raspberries and peaches, pureed and poached, respectively. I’ve made it many times before because it’s 1) delicious, 2) easy to make, 3) ice cream worthy, 4) fruity, and 5) rarely disappointing the diner or the chef.
And then, the light bulb went off for me (dim as it may sometimes be). Why not make a pie featuring the fruits of Peach Melba, especially since I have both on hand and even more especially because I love pie. I have to say the pairing never ceases to delight me, whether on the plate and on the palate.
I basically took my favorite Deluxe Peach Pie recipe and adapted it by adding raspberries and removing a few ingredients like the cinnamon and nutmeg. This fruit combo needs no help or muddling in the flavoring department.
For this pie, I used Sierra Rich peaches and Tulameen raspberries (homegrown, but frozen).
Oops, this is what I call pie overfill: a little too much of a good filling. The raspberries are juicy little gems, so place the pie on a lined baking sheet to spare your oven from billowing smoke plumes and burned bits on its bottom.
Finishing touch: I paint the top crust with milk and dust with granulated sugar before baking for a crispy, sugary golden top crust. For a glossier finish, you can mix up a whole egg or egg yolk with equal parts milk and paint that on the top crust before baking. And now for the Peach Melba Pie recipe…
Peach Melba Pie
Print recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups sugar ((3/4 cup))
- 5 ripe peaches (thick slices)
- 1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract ((optional))
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 1 lime (juiced)
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut peaches into thick slices (about six per half). Leave the skins on, they dissolve in the baking process anyway, so save a step. | |
| Step 2 | |
| Place sliced peaches and raspberries in a bowl, add sugar. Stir to mix. Add remaining ingredients to fruit mixture. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Add filling to chilled pie dough in a 9-inch pie plate or pan. Don't overfill, as this is one juicy pie. Cover filling with lattice top or double crust top with air vents. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Bake on center shelf for 15 minutes at 425 degree F, and then reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Bake until juices bubble in the middle of the pie. May take over an hour and then some. If only bubbling around the edges of the pie, the center is not done. Be patient. 😉 | |
| Step 5 | |
| Let stand for at least 4 hours to cool and take a more solid texture. If sliced when warm, the filling will run. And don't reheat the pie, as it will make the crust weaken and become soggy. | |
And here’s a link to the fancy little tool that creates this type of lattice top.
Great gadget for under $10.
that ‘s looks just perfect. what a beautiful pie!
Thanks Jaz!
OK Mister.. how did you do the fancy schmancy pie crust top?
Ah Laura, it’s all in the tools. Here’s the one I use for that lattice-awesomeness:
Oh dear god–I want some of that pie.
I picked the first of the sweet corn today——trade ya for a piece!!!
Ha. If only it were that easy. The miles between Vashon and Manton, MI are too great!
Enjoy!
Ah Susan, I’d trek on over and drop it on your doorstep if seven states and two great lakes weren’t between us. 🙂
Yum! I’love have two silces please…for breakfast!
I agree, best breakfast option around; beats the pants of pancakes!
Gorgeous! I wish we had fruit like that here.
Thanks Lawrence, yep, I feel pretty lucky to live in the fruit basket of the Pacific Northwest.
OOOhhh, sitting here with my first cup of coffee for this new day, still bleary eyed, thinking that a piece of this would be heaven right now. I love pies and often bemoan they don’t make them like they used to.
In my fairytale world, I would send Tom, my trained bald eagle, to fly accross Blake Island to your farm, pick up a piece, carefully wrapped and tied together with a string so that he could carry it his talon, as he flies back to Bainbridge Island to land with it right here on my deck, where I am now sitting in the sunny magical morning fog of Mid August. Five minutes from now, I could enjoy this beauty and start the day off right.
PS: It was not Tom that got Brown Betty. He wouldn’t do that, he’s much too polite.
Such imagery, I think you have the makings of an illustrated book, “The Pie Eagle.” Thanks Chris!
Have you ever tried it with less sugar? It’s gorgeous….
Thanks Patty, oh sure, but I wouldn’t use less than 1/2 cup, so the cornstarch and juices set-up with sugar drawing out the liquids.
Can you bake another one, I’m going to be on the island Sunday afternoon.
Ah, Steve, this weekend is pretty booked up with activities, my apologies. You know what I need, is to set up a pie stand. 😉 Oh King County Health Department would love that.
If a commercial kitchen is included in the new farmers market building, your in business. BULLDOG PIES
What a wonderful-looking dessert! My mouth is watering! Could you resend the link for the tool you used create that lovely top crust? I’m with Steve – set up your own pie stand – and patent everything! Are you taking orders for the frozen variety to be shipped to Canada? 🙂
Hi Sandra, Here’s the cool tool that makes lattice tops easy as, well, pie. 😉
https://www.amazon.com/Lattice-Patry-Roller-Pie-Cutter/dp/B0001IWXC4