Luscious Rose & Cardamom Scented Peach Pie

There are few pleasures in life as tasty as a seasonal, organic, fruit pie!  During a trip to my local Farmer's Market, I saw beautiful yellow peaches beckoning to be baked into something luscious.  Inspired by their wafting peachy fragrance, I selected about 10 lovely peaches, and was determined to make a peach pie from scratch.  That's right!  No store bought pie crust.  Due to my lactose intolerance, I was set on creating a killer dairy free crust.  One of my secrets to making baked fruit extra special, is to use a splash of rose or orange blossom water.  As it is strong, like using an extract, a small amount goes a long way.  You want to aim for scented and exotic ,not soapy and toxic.  Another secret of mine is to use a warm spice.  Most people would immediately go for the cinnamon, which I do love.  However, if you want to be extra special and bring out the rose water, cardamom is an excellent choice.  It has similar qualities to cinnamon, but its notes are a bit more floral than earthy.  Many Middle Eastern treats use flower water and cardamom.  These flavors just love each other!  If only world peace was as simple as sharing blissful food!  I digress...How to make my Luscious Rose and Cardamom Scented Peach Pie....

Filling:
10 to 12 ripe peaches (pitted, sliced and skinned)
1 1/2 tsp rose water (or orange blossom)
1 tsp ground cardamom
3 tbsp cornstarch (this thickens the juices)
1/2 fresh lemon juiced (prevents peaches from browning)
1/2 cup organic cane sugar

If the peaches are uber ripe, you can slice them and peel the skin with your fingers as I did.  If they are not super ripe, you can blanch the peaches in boiling water for a couple minutes cooling them in an ice water bath, then peel and then slice.  In a large bowl, combine peach slices, rose water, cardamom, cornstarch, lemon juice (careful to catch seeds), and sugar.  Mix well and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to sit in fridge min. two hours.

Sweet Crust: (makes bottom and top) ~  Preheat Oven for 350 F.
1/2 cup Earth Balance Buttery Stick
1/2 cup Earth Balance Vegetable Shortening
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 tbsp. organic cane sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom (optional)
1/2 cup ice water
1 egg (optional egg wash for color just before going in the oven...if making vegan leave out egg)

Cut Earth Balance Buttery Stick into cubes, cut Earth Balance Vegetable Shortening into cubes.  Combine these into a bowl and place in the freezer a few minutes. Sift flour, salt, sugar, and cardamom (if using) into a bowl and also pop in the freezer a few minutes.  The secret to amazingly flaky and tender pie crust is to use cold ingredients.  Once everything is chilled (not frozen, but cold...about ten to fifteen min will do), using hands or a pastry cutter mix the Earth Balance cubes into the dry mixture until mixture is lumpy about the size of peas.  Next, slowly add ice water about 1 tbsp at a time until dough is fairly smooth/able to form a ball.  Divide dough in half and wrap each half (ball of dough) in plastic wrap.  Chill dough for a min. of 30 min. Can keep a few days if you wish to prep dough in advance.  When well chilled, lightly flour a board or flat surface (I used my kitchen table), unwrap one ball of dough and roll it out in a circle a little bigger in diameter than the pie dish. Drape rolled out crust on rolling pin and use it to gently place the dough into the baking dish. This is where one would say, time to blind bake!  Blind baking is when you gently bake the bottom crust with pie weights or dried beans so that it remains crisp once the filling is added.  In this case, about 15 min. @ 350 F.  *note make sure to piece the dough with a fork to let air out while blind baking.  If you wish to skip this step, the pie will still be tasty, but the bottom will not be crisp.  After blind baking is complete, allow to cool and add filling.  Secret spooning tip: When I add the filling, I use a slotted spoon so that extra liquid  will not make the pie soggy.  Roll out other dough ball (top crust), and use the rolling pin to place the dough over the top. Crimp the top crust to the bottom crust, sealing in the filling.  Optional egg wash time!  Crack one egg and use a fork to whisk it well.  Apply with a pastry brush.  Using a paring knife, cut small vents in the center of the pie for the steam to escape, and to prevent the pie from exploding. I made sort of a star/sun pattern.  Bake for about an hour (ovens can varry) at 350 F. allow to cool and then enjoy plain, or with frozen yogurt,Soyatoo (excellent non-dairy whipped topping), or icecream of choice.  Let me know what you think!  I promise more recipes to come soon :)