Peach & Yogurt Custard Pie

Peaches

By Cat, Sept 2008 (photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

Includes: 1. Peach & Yogurt Custard Pie (includes variation using regular custard)

See also: 1. Blackberry Sour Cream Pie; 2. Peach & Berry Lattice Top Pie; 3. Fruit Kuchen 4. Peach Melba Pie; 5. Pie & Tart Crusts, Pastry; 6. Pies, Tarts, Turnovers

I had some homemade yogurt cream cheese and ripe peaches that needed to be used up. The late august temperatures were cooling just a bit so I could actually stand the heat of the oven. I liked the idea of peaches and custard, but how to use the cream cheese?

I paged through my 1940’s Occident Family Flour Cookbook  for ideas and came across a Cottage Cheese Apple Pie. And there was the September 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens that featured summer pies including a Buttermilk Pie. An idea was born (with fond memories of Fruit Kuchen as the midwife….)

Peach & Yogurt-Custard (or Regular Custard) Pie

This is my original recipe, based on ideas from Cottage Cheese Apple Pie (1), and on Buttermilk Pie (2) from Better Homes and Gardens‘ September 2008 magazine.

Peaches are sweeter than apples, so I cut the sweetener nearly in half (from the Cottage Cheese Apple Pie recipe), to be nearer to that in the Buttermilk Pie recipe.

I used whole spelt pie crust recipe, and unbleached white spelt flour to mix with the fruit.  To sweeten the fruit, I prefer to use stevia, but I provide options for using sugar or honey, or a mix of sugar and stevia.  Do not substitute for honey in the custard, as its flavor goes well with the yogurt, and its liquid is needed for proper texture.  I don’t like my pies to be overly sweet.  If you like a very sweet pie, increase the honey in the yogurt mix to 6 Tbsp.

You will need to make the yogurt cream cheese about 6 hours ahead of time, to allow adequate time for the whey to drain off.

Nutmeg is a nice flavor with peaches, but you could certainly omit it.

Ingredients & Equipment

• Pastry for a 9″ single-crust pie

Fruit mix:

• 1 ½ cups peaches, sliced (fresh, or frozen and thawed)
• 1 Tbsp unbleached white flour
• ¼ tsp stevia extract powder *
• ⅛ tsp nutmeg

* or ⅛ tsp stevia extract and 6 Tbsp Rapadura sugar; or ¾ cup Rapadura; or 3-4 Tbsp honey

Custard mix:

• 2 eggs
• 4 Tbsp honey (or 6 Tbsp if you like it sweeter)
• ¼ tsp Unrefined sea salt
• 1 cup yogurt cream cheese or whole milk (for regular custard)
• ¼ cup cream
• 1 tsp vanilla

Equipment:

• 9″ pie pan
• small and medium bowls
• egg whisk or hand-held mixer

Method:

1. If using yogurt:  Drain whey from yogurt to make 1 cup cream cheese (at least 6 hours ahead).
2. Prepare pie crust according to instructions; Roll to fit a 9″ pie shell. Or, if using a crumb crust, press into pie shell.
3. Preheat oven to 375⁰ F.
4. Arrange peach slices over pie crust.
5. Mix flour, stevia and nutmeg in small bowl, then sprinkle over peaches.  [NOTE:  if using honey to sweeten the peaches, stir it into the peaches rather than into the flour.]
6. Beat eggs, honey and salt in medium bowl; add yogurt cream cheese (or milk for regular custard), cream and vanilla.  Beat until blended.  Pour over peaches.
7. Bake about 40 minutes in preheated oven, until custard sets.

Testing

Testing 8/28/08:  Used 1 package frozen peaches, and forgot to add the nutmeg.  Otherwise, followed as written, using the American Pie Crust as written, with ¾ cup whole spelt and ¼ cup white spelt flour).  Took about 50 minutes, for the yogurt custard to set during baking.  Result:  crust is excellent, very flaky.  Interesting combination of flavors in the filling; not too sweet. However, I think I would prefer this with a regular custard (milk and egg), rather than the yogurt custard.

References

1. Cottage Cheese Apple Pie in the 1940s Occident Family Flour Cookbook
2. Buttermilk Pie in Sept 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine