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Four Generation Peach Pie with Coconut Meringue Crust

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Four Generation Peach Pie with Coconut Meringue Crust

Photo by wanderash

This recipe was entered in the contest for The Best Recipe or Technique Your Mother Taught You
A&M's Testing Notes: This dessert is a joy to prepare, bake, eat and love! The beautiful fluffy batter transforms in the oven to a billowy cloud of crust that puffed over the pie plate edges after about twenty...
This dessert is a joy to prepare, bake, eat and love! The beautiful fluffy batter transforms in the oven to a billowy cloud of crust that puffed over the pie plate edges after about twenty minutes! Worried that I did something wrong, I gently coaxed the sides back in, which settled the crust back to the bottom of the plate. My crust was done in 25 minutes. wanderash calls for 5 extra-large egg whites, so to compensate for the large size ones I had on hand, I used 6 whites (maybe that explains the billowing). Nevertheless, it came out beautifully. I used sliced peaches from my own trees (last year) and the filling was delicious. I made a syrup first, reduced it, then added the sliced peaches so they wouldn't disintegrate. Instead of flavoring the whipped cream with vanilla, I used a touch of pure almond extract to accentuate the almond flavor in the meringue. An absolute standout editor's pick! - Amber Olson

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Chef
wanderash's Notes: All of the women before me were great cooks and elegant entertainers; it is in my blood. Growing up, my mom’s grandmother lived two houses down from her. When her mom would entertain, which...
All of the women before me were great cooks and elegant entertainers; it is in my blood. Growing up, my mom’s grandmother lived two houses down from her. When her mom would entertain, which was often, Grandma Denessen would make the desserts, and most often it was this peach pie that she carried across the lawn. It was everybody’s favorite. When my mother began entertaining, she did not have her mother as a neighbor and had to make the sweet endings herself, and thus the cycle continues. My great-grandmother made it with canned peaches, as did my grandmother and mother. When I lived in northern California, I began stewing fresh ripe peaches for the filling. When they are in season, this is the way to go. However, I have never let the seasons get in the way of me and this pie! - wanderash

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Serves 6-8

Stewed Peaches:

5 ripe peaches Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup sugar Ask a question about this ingredient

3 cups water Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 vanilla bean, cut in half lenghtwise Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon lemon juice Ask a question about this ingredient

Bring the water to a boil in a pot.
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With a sharp knife make an “X” on the bottom of each peach. Place them in the boiling water. After about 2 minutes, or until the skin of the peach begins to curl up where the “X” is, remove them from the pot. Turn the burner off.
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Starting where the “X” is, peel the skins off of the peaches. Cut in half and remove the pit and the stem.
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Bring the water to a boil again and add the sugar, vanilla bean, lemon and any of the peach juices. When the sugar has dissolved, add the peaches and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until they are tender. Can be stored for five days in the fridge.
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The Pie:

5 extra-large egg whites Ask a question about this ingredient

Pinch salt Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup sugar Ask a question about this ingredient

1 1/4 cup coconut, toasted Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon unsalted butter Ask a question about this ingredient

5 ripe peaches (or 1 can 28 oz. can peaches) Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup whipping cream Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon vanilla Ask a question about this ingredient

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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Slice the peaches medium-thin and place them in a colander to drain. They should be very well drained before filling the crust.
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Beat the egg whites and salt on high until foamy; gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.
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Carefully fold in 1 cup of the toasted coconut and all of the almonds.
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With a spatula and a light hand, spread the meringue into a well buttered 10"” pie plate. Build the sides up , high above the edge of pie plate.
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Bake the crust for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and dry along the edge. Let cool on counter top.
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Whip the cream and vanilla
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One or two hours before serving, fill pie crust with peaches and top with whipped cream leaving a rim of peaches exposed around crust. Sprinkle remaining toasted coconut over whipped cream. Refrigerate until time to serve.
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9 Comments on Four Generation Peach Pie with Coconut Meringue Crust

KLL5 added 8 months ago

About the coconut... unsweet or sweet?

susan@debonne.net added about 1 year ago

I'm confused. Are the stewed peaches at the beginning of the recipe the ones that you put in the colander to drain? OR are the peaches in the pie recipe FRESH peaches that need to be drained? And if yes, then is the stewed peaches recipe just a little addition? I really want to make this. It sound heavenly!

wanderash added about 1 year ago

Sorry to be confusing! If you have fresh peaches and are inclined, stew them and use them to fill the pie. If you do not have succulent fresh peaches you can used canned. Either way, be sure to drain the peaches well before adding them to the pie crust. Hmmmm... I think I might make this again soon :)

sygyzy added about 1 year ago

I am confused. Is the crust of this pie really a baked meringue?

wanderash added about 1 year ago

Yes it is- egg whites and sugar- and it is delicious!

monkeymom added over 2 years ago

I love peach pie and can't wait to get peaches good enough to make this. The meringue crust looks amazing.

wanderash added over 2 years ago

Peach really is the best and the women before me only made it with canned peaches..Here in Mexico, we get delicious guavas all year round. I poach them in simple syrup with some cinnamon and cardamom and use that as filling for this crust. Any fruit will do!

AntoniaJames added over 2 years ago

This is beautiful, and looks so, so tasty. What is the substitution if using canned peaches? Can you use frozen peaches? We won't get good local peaches for several months, at least. Thank you. ;o)

wanderash added over 2 years ago

Thanks AntoniaJames! You will not be disappointed! If using canned peaches, use a 28 oz. can and drain well. I have not used frozen peaches before. I am sure they would be good, but I would still poach them, so they have a nice syrupy coating to them.