Pie #9: Reading Directions Pie (Fresh Peach Pie)

When I was in elementary school I didn't see much use for directions as every worksheet we were given had an example problem that showed exactly what needed to be done.  I didn't understand why I should waste all that time reading two extra lines of text when it was quite obvious what was to be done from the example!  (I think this was especially true when my teacher had already explained the entire worksheet anyway.)

The specifics from most elementary school worksheets have long-escaped my memory; however there is one that I remember quite clearly.  My teacher's verbal instructions for this particular worksheet were simple: "Make sure to read the directions."  She repeated this instruction several times.  The directions written were: "Read through each question before starting this worksheet."  Of course I wasn't overly excited about these particular directions - now there was more reading standing between me and the finished worksheet.  However, because my teacher was acting so strangely I chose to follow the directions.  Each of the questions asked me to perform a different task: math in one question, walking to the other side of the room in the next question, a trivia question to follow, etc.  The worksheet was full of seemingly unrelated tasks, all up to the last question which told you to ignore all other questions, turn your paper over, and wait for further instruction.  It was delightful to watch all of my classmates who had not read the instructions perform these tasks!

Making a pie is much like this worksheet.  Reading the recipe through its entirety before starting can be very profitable.  Too many times I have gotten through part of a recipe only to find a bad surprise waiting at the next step - missing instructions, something I should have chopped earlier, a word of caution one step too late, or something equally frightful.

This week I had some trouble reading/following directions.  As the picture shows, the crust bubbled while blind-baking.  I also think I should have waited for the sugar mixture to thicken a bit more.  However in the end, I had yet another tasty pie.  Since we purchased more peaches at the Farmer's Market I pulled Marlene Suter's peach pie recipe from the Columbus Mennonite Church Cookbook.

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Fresh Peach Pie

Ingredients:

1 baked pie shell (10 inch)

1 c. sugar

3 T. cornstarch

1/8 t. salt

3 T. light corn syrup

1 c. water

3 T. lemon gelatin (dry)

1 qt. sliced fresh peaches (4 cups)

1/2 T. lemon juice

Pie Algorithm:

1. Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and syrup in saucepan.  Add water, stir and cook on medium high until mixture thickens (about 5 minutes). Add gelatin and blend.  Cool.

2. Mix peaches with lemon juice and put them in cooled, baked pie shell.  Spoon gelatin mixture over peaches.

3. Chill thoroughly.  Serve with whipped cream.

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The lemon flavor was refreshing, but overpowered the peaches slightly.  (This could be due to the fact that my fat bubbling crust didn't allow for as many peaches as it should have!)  If you'd rather not use lemon, I surmise that peach gelatin would also be tasty!