makes one 9” x 9” x 1” square pie
 
Cornmeal Pie Pastry-
 
1 cup cold water plus 2 tablespoons cold  cider vinegar (you won't use all of this)
½ cup ice
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup stone ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
8 oz. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces

Add the ice to the cold water and vinegar and refrigerate. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt and sugar. Using a bench scraper or two knives, cut the cold butter pieces into the flour mixture until it forms coarse crumbs. Retrieve the cold water/vinegar from the fridge. Add 2 tablespoons of the water/vinegar around the sides of the bowl, using a fork to toss the mixture together. Add just enough additional water, (2 tablespoons at a time,) tossing the flour mixture with the water to create a shaggy dough that just holds together when pinched. (Depending upon the weather, I use about ½ cup ice water, give or take one tablespoon.) The dough should be moist, but not overly wet, and just hold together. Divide the dough into two discs, wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out.
 
On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll one disc of dough into a square, roughly 12” by ⅛” thick. Carefully transfer the dough to a 9” square tart pan with removable bottom. Tuck the edges under and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate the bottom crust. Retrieve the second disc of dough from the fridge and roll it into a square, roughly 12” by ⅛” thick. This will be the top crust; you can leave it in one piece or cut it into 1” strips to form a lattice. Cover the top crust with plastic wrap and slide the parchment paper with the top crust onto a baking sheet. Refrigerate the top crust while you prepare the filling.
 
Sweet Cherries and Rhubarb Filling-
 
1 pound fresh rhubarb, rinsed, leaves removed, cut into ½” thick pieces (you should have about 2½ cups)
2½ cups sweet cherries, rinsed, stems removed, halved and pitted
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
⅛ teaspoon Fee Brothers Cherry Cocktail Bitters (available at gourmet grocery, liquor and coffee shops- also available from Amazon)
 1 teaspoon orange zest
⅓ cup granulated sugar (if the cherries are on the tart side, you can add an additional tablespoon)
⅓ cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons tapioca starch
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of salt
⅛ teaspoon Fee Brothers Cherry Cocktail Bitters (available at gourmet grocery, liquor and coffee shops- also available from Amazon)
 
egg wash made from 1 egg yolk whisked with 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
coarse sugar for sanding
 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, cherries, orange juice and cherry bitters. In a medium bowl, whisk together orange zest with granulated sugar, brown sugar, tapioca starch, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Use a rubber spatula to thoroughly combine the sugar mixture with the fruit. Retrieve the bottom crust and top crust from the fridge. Spoon the filling into the bottom crust. Cover with the top crust (or lattice strips). If using a solid top crust, be sure to cut a few vents in the middle of the crust for the steam to escape. Brush the top of the pie with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Place the pie on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake on the bottom shelf of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F, move the pie to the middle rack of the oven and continue baking for an additional 35-40 minutes, covering the edges of the pie with strips of aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning. The pie is ready when the juices are bubbling around the edges and from the center. Set the pie on a rack to cool completely before serving, at least 3 hours. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
 

Makes one deep-dish pie, baked  in a  7”x 3” springform pan
 
For the Pie Pastry-
 
2½ cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter cut into pieces
 6-8 tablespoons ice cold water
 
Place the flour, sugar, salt and cold butter into a large mixing bowl. Use a bench scraper or two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of the ice water around the bowl, tossing the mixture to distribute the water. The dough will become shaggy. Add just enough additional water (1 or 2 tablespoons) so that the mixture holds its shape and forms a soft dough. Divide the dough in half, shaping each half into a disc. Wrap each disc of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out.
 
Lightly butter and flour a 7”x 3” springform pan. On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll out one disc of pie pastry into a circle about 10” in diameter and about ⅛” thick. To transfer the pastry to the springform pan, lightly dust your rolling pin with flour, roll the pastry up in the pin, place the pastry wrapped pin over one edge of the springform and gently unroll the pastry. Without pulling or stretching the pastry, ease it into the pan, using your fingers to line the bottom and sides and leaving an overhang of about ½”. Turn the overhang under to create an edge. Crimp the edges and place the pastry-lined pan in the freezer. On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll out the second disc of pie pastry into a circle about 10” in diameter. Using a pastry wheel or a sharp knife, cut the circle into ½” strips. Slide the parchment paper with the lattice strips onto a small baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
 
Peach filling-
 
3 pounds of freestone peaches, rinsed, peeled (if you wish,) halved, pitted, cut into thick wedges (you should have 6 cups of fruit)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
pinch of salt
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3-4 tablespoons minute tapioca, finely ground in a coffee grinder or food processor (if the peaches are extremely juicy, I use 4 tablespoons, if less so, 3 tablespoons)

egg wash made from 1 egg yolk beaten with two tablespoons milk or heavy cream
 coarse sanding sugar for sprinkling
 
Assemble the ingredients for the filling. Place the sliced peaches and lemon juice in a large bowl and set aside. Do not combine the fruit with the remaining ingredients until after you have blind-baked the bottom crust (or the filling will be swimming before you place it in the pie shell.)
 
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Retrieve the springform pan from the freezer. Use a fork to prick the bottom and sides of the pastry to prevent the dough from puffing up. Line the pastry lined springform pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Press the edges of the foil or parchment snugly against the bottom and sides of the pastry, and all the way up and over the edges. Fill the pan with pie weights or dried beans. Be generous- go all the way up to the top so the crust doesn’t slink down. Place the springform pan on a baking sheet and bake it on the bottom rack of the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and using oven mitts, carefully lift out the foil (or parchment) and beans. Set the foil/beans aside (I stash them in a cast iron skillet to cool down) and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Return the partially baked crust back into the oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the bottom is golden and dry and the edges are lightly brown. Set aside to cool.
 
Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
 
In a medium bowl, whisk together the zest, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and finely ground tapioca. Add this mixture to the peaches and lemon juice, using a rubber spatula to combine the fruit with the sugar and spices. Scrape the filling into the pre-baked pie shell. Moisten the edge of the piecrust with a bit of the egg wash. Retrieve the lattice strips from the refrigerator. You can either weave the strips into a woven lattice top or simply set half of the strips horizontally across the pie, then add the remaining strips vertically to create a ‘faux’ lattice. (No one will judge you; promise.) Make sure the edges of the lattice strips are tucked and sealed beneath the crimped edge. (Because you blind-baked the crust, the edges may be a bit fragile- be gentle.) Brush the lattice crust (but not the edges- they’ll get too dark) with the egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar. Make sure the springform is sitting on a parchment lined baking sheet before you transfer it to the oven. One more thing- I like to wrap strips of aluminum foil around the edges of the pie to prevent overbrowning and remove the foil strips the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
 
Bake the pie on the bottom rack of the preheated 425 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 375 degrees F, move the pie to the middle rack of the oven and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Carefully remove the aluminum foil strips from the edges of the pie and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until the pie is bubbling around the edges and from the center of the lattice. Everyone’s oven is slightly different- keep an eye on things; if the top of the pie is getting too dark, cover it with a sheet of parchment paper or reduce the heat by 15 degrees. Because you are using a springform pan, it is important that the filling bubbles enthusiastically. Equally important, the pie must cool completely before slicing if you want it to stand tall. This will take a minimum of 3 hours. If you simply can’t wait, the filling may pool on the plate. In that case, you may wish to substitute a bowl and a spoon for a plate and a fork. Serve the pie with generous dollops of Bourbon Whipped Cream. Wrap and refrigerate any leftovers.
 
Bourbon Whipped Cream
 
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon bourbon
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
 
Place the heavy cream, bourbon, vanilla extract, and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl. Whip with a hand-held electric mixer or a whisk until the cream thickens and holds soft peaks. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

​Makes enough to fill one  11" cast iron skillet
 
Filling-
3½ pounds nectarines, rinsed, halved, pitted, each half sliced into quarters (8 cups)
1 cup pitted, sweet cherries
3 tablespoons cornstarch
⅓ cup light brown sugar (taste the nectarines; add 1 or 2 tablespoons of brown sugar if you prefer a sweeter filling)
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
 
Topping-
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
⅓ cup sugar
½ cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream, to brush over biscuit topping
½ cup blanched almonds, lightly toasted
 
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, toss the nectarines and cherries with the cornstarch, brown sugar, salt, orange juice, and orange zest. Place the fruit mixture in a 10” cast-iron skillet. Set aside.
 
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and sugar. Use a bench scraper to cut in the butter pieces until the mixture forms crumbs (about the size of a pea). In a small bowl, combine the heavy cream, vanilla, and almond extracts. Gradually add the cream mixture to the flour/butter mixture, gently stirring with a rubber spatula, just until evenly combined.  Using a large spoon or a cookie scoop, place dollops of the dough over the fruit. Brush the biscuit topping with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds. Bake in the preheated 375 degree oven for about 45-50 minutes, until the cobbler is golden brown and the fruit bubbles.

makes one 9" double crust pie or one 11” x 8” x 1” tart
 
Pie/Tart Pastry
 
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons raspberry vinegar
6 tablespoons ice cold water
 
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Using a bench scraper or your fingertips, cut in the butter pieces until the mixture is crumbly with pieces of butter about the size of a pea. Combine the vinegar with the water. Gradually add the liquid to the flour/butter mixture, tossing it until the dough is somewhat shaggy and just holds together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, gather it into two discs, flatten them slightly and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out. Roll out one disc of dough to a thickness of about ⅛" and place it in a 9" pie plate or an 11” x 8” x 1” tart pan with a removable bottom. Roll and crimp the edges. Refrigerate the bottom crust. Roll out the second disc of dough to a thickness of about ⅛" and trim it to a diameter of 12".  Refrigerate the top crust while you prepare the filling.  (If you wish to use a lattice for the top crust, cut the top crust into 1" strips.)
 
Raspberry Rhubarb filling
 
1 pound preferably fresh (or in a pinch, frozen*) rhubarb, rinsed, leaves removed, cut into ½" pieces (about 2½ cups)
2½ cups fresh raspberries
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest
pinch salt
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cardamom
3 tablespoons instant tapioca, finely ground
 
egg wash made from 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
coarse sanding sugar for sprinkling
 
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, orange zest, salt, nutmeg, cardamom and tapioca. Place the rhubarb in a large bowl. Add the sugar mixture, tossing to coat. Gently fold in half of the raspberries; reserve the remaining raspberries. Turn the filling into the bottom crust, add the remaining raspberries, and drape the top crust over the filling.** Seal, trim, fold and crimp the edges. Cut steam vents in the top crust, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with the sanding sugar.
 
Place the pie on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 20 minutes until the crust is set and begins to turn golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 F. Move the pie on its baking sheet to the middle rack and bake for an additional 45 minutes, until the crust is toasty brown and juices bubble thickly around the edges and through the pie vents. Remove from the oven and set on a rack to cool for at least 3 hours before slicing. Wrap and refrigerate any leftovers.
 
(* if using frozen rhubarb, measure out 2½ cups of frozen fruit then let it thaw in a mesh strainer to remove the excess water)
 
(** a lattice crust can be made by slicing the refrigerated top crust into 1" strips and weaving them over the filling. Seal, trim, fold and crimp the edges as you would for a double-crusted pie.)