One 9" pre-baked pie crust
7 - 9 peaches (depending on size), blanched, peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla (optional)
2-3 drops red food coloring, 1-2 drops yellow food coloring
2 cups sweetened whip cream
To blanch peaches: Bring a large stock pot filled with at least 3 inches of water to a boil. Cut a small 'X' at the bottom of each peach with a sharp paring knife. Place 4 -5 peaches in the water for about 10 - 20 seconds (depending on how ripe they are--riper peaches blanch faster). Remove from pot and drop into a bowl of cold or ice water. Repeat with the rest of the peaches.
Peal the peaches, remove the pits and slice into a bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Measure out 1 1/4 cups peaches into a blender and puree.
In a 1 qt. sauce pan, mix the sugar, cornstarch and salt with a wire whip until fully blended. Add the cold water and the pureed peaches. Heat on medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, vanilla and food coloring. Cover with plastic wrap and cool to about room temperature.
Spread a enough filling to cover the bottom of the pre-baked pie crust. Add a layer of sliced peaches. Then more filling. Repeat until you've used all the filling and the peaches. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4-5 hours or over-night. Remove plastic and garnish with the whip cream. (You can use a pastry bag and star tip for a fancy garnish, or just slather the whip cream all over the top!)
If you are in a hurry, you can also stir the filling into the peaches and just pour the whole concoction into the pie crust. Either way, it will be delicious.
The amount of peaches listed above is dependent on the size of the peach. I like to use larger peaches (less work). Also, it depends on how full you want your pie to be; I usually buy extra peaches just to make sure I have enough (you can never have too many peaches!).
