Goodbye Summer Skillet Peach Pie

Goodbye Summer Skillet Peach Pie

Summer is over and it's time to say goodbye to all of the delicious berries and stone fruit that Summer offers, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, plums and peaches. Stopping at the grocery store on my way home from work tonight to grab some last minute ingredients to make dinner, I noticed peaches were on sale, and as luck would have it, they were ripe! So on impulse, I decided to make a skillet peach pie but to jazz it up with something extra special...there is a bed of caramel hiding underneath the bottom crust! Yes, you heard (or should I say read) right....caramel. How can you resist?

Ingredients:
6 T unsalted butter
3/4 c light brown sugar
1 package of premade pie crust
4-5 lbs of fresh, ripe peaches peeled and sliced in 1/2" thick slices
1/2 brown sugar, packed
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp lemon zest
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 T flour
1 egg white
2 T granulated sugar
1 T cinnamon

Bring the crusts to room temperature by setting out for 15-20 minutes

Combine the 2 T of granulated sugar and 1 T cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.

Put the peaches in a large bowl, toss with the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour.
In a 9" cast iron skillet, melt the 6 T of butter over medium heat. Add the 3/4 c brown sugar and cook stirring constantly for approx 2-3 minutes until sugar is dissolved into the butter and bubbly.

Remove from heat. Be very careful, this mixture is extremely hot!

On a floured cutting board, roll out one of the pie crusts so that it fits into the skillet with a little overhang.

Carefully transfer it to the skillet over the brown sugar/butter mixture. Layer the peach mixture over the pie crust in the skillet.

Roll out the second pie crust and place it on top of the peaches. Fold the edges of the top crust under the edges of the bottom crust, creating a seal. Flute the edges if you like, but that is totally unnecessary since we are making a rustic style dessert.

Beat the egg white until frothy. Brush on top of the pie crust, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Cut 4 slits in the top of the crust.

Place the skillet on a large baking sheet to catch the drippings. Bake for 1 hour until filling is bubbly and crust is golden brown. If your crust browns to quickly, tent it with foil to prevent burning or overbrowning.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes to an hour so the juices can thicken.

Top with ice cream if desired (I strongly recommend it!). Enjoy!!

                                      Ahh...what a way to say goodbye to Summer, don't you think?