Reading and Writing and the Occasional Recipe: The occasional recipe...the famous Caryl Kahn peach pie

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Reading and Writing and the Occasional Recipe

The occasional recipe...the famous Caryl Kahn peach pie

Friday, June 12, 2009

That’s how it’s known in my family, even though Caryl Kahn is a name from our deep past, a neighbor in our suburban New York town way back when. Does she still make this? Who knows. But she was the source of the recipe and I can’t pass it along without attribution.

But about the pie. Well, it’s hardly a traditional pie. I’ve never seen another recipe like it. You can’t cut it into neat slices and it only has a top crust and even that’s not a “real” pie crust. It’s pretty much just fruit with some batter spooned over it. But it’s delish and dare I say easy as pie.

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Scald, skin, and slice peaches.
Stop--full disclosure--I NEVER EVER do those first two. I just slice them and ignore the skin. Feel free to peel, though, if you’re offended by skin. How many peaches? I just use enough to fill the pie plate evenly and then pile more on top. If the peaches are getting too ripe and I need to use them fast, I may pile on quite a few more. This is a recipe I take liberties with.

3. Sprinkle peaches with mix of 1/3 cup sugar and a little cinnamon.

4. Make batter:
Cream together
1 tbsp. butter
2/3 c. sugar
add
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
pinch salt
and combine until smooth.

5. Spoon batter over peaches.

6. Bake 25-30 min. until lightly browned on top and baked through.

This is terrific on its own, at breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any time in between. Great with vanilla ice cream, too, or a dab of creme fraiche.

Although this is, after all, a famous peach pie, it is possible--even good--to try other fruit. In Maine I use blueberries and it works perfectly. Although I have never made this with apricots or apples or plums or nectarines, those sounds like perfectly good possibilities, too. I hope one of you will try and let me know.

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5 Comments :

Blogger Mim said...

Sounds delicious! I'm planning to make it for a pot-luck.

June 12, 2009 at 2:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My family has a very similar recipe that we make constantly during peach season, because it's so delicious and very easy to make.
Here is the recipe. ENJOY!!
Mary Alice

Peach Torte
Mary Alice Saville

Using a fork, mix together
1 egg into dry ingredients below;
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Spread into the bottom of
a greased pie dish. Batter will be
very thick.
Cut about 3 to 6 peaches
(depending on size) in thick slices
or chunks, and arrange on top of batter.
Sprinkle a mixture of 1/4 cup
sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon over peaches.
Bake at 350 degrees about 35 or
45 minutes.

June 12, 2009 at 3:07 PM  
Blogger Ellen Steinbaum said...

Mim, let me know how it goes. Mary Alice (aka anonymous!), I'm going to have to try this version, too--thanks.

June 12, 2009 at 7:15 PM  
Anonymous Jim said...

I am eager to post my lip-smacking approval.

June 13, 2009 at 6:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ellen, I love your approach to this recipe! Especially the disclosure, right there when we've barely finished reading the three steps. There you go! Who'd be intimidated by a recipe? And also the recipe's name. In our family it's Mildred Bowker's Ginger Cookies, AKA Mrs. Bowkers. A very quiet, reserved neighbor lady, yet her name has traveled by cookie to people she never knew.

I will certainly try this delicious-sounding pie.
Susan Donnelly AKA Anonymous

June 28, 2009 at 1:29 PM  

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