- 1 deep-dish pie shell
Topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, hazelnuts or walnuts
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
Filling:
- 6 cups ripe, fresh peach slices (about 8 whole peaches)
- 1 tsp. grated orange peel (optional)
- 3 tbsp. white granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Line a deep-dish pie pan with pastry--or thaw a commercially-made frozen deep-dish pie shell for about 10 minutes. Bake the pastry for 10 minutes at 425 degrees F, with the oven rack in a below-the-middle position. Put the pie pan on a rack to cool.
In a medium bowl, stir together these topping ingredients: flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts. Cut butter into small pieces and work in with your fingers to make a crumbly mixture.
Wash and peel the peaches. Cut in half, remove pits. Slice peaches into thick wedges to make 6 cups. Put peaches in a large bowl, sprinkle with orange peel (optional).
In a small bowl, stir sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon. Toss peaches gently with this mixture, till coated.
Put peaches, including any juice at the bottom of the bowl, in the prepared pie shell. Mound it up in the middle. Sprinkle the topping crumbs over the peaches.
Bake on bottom rack of oven at 425 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F and bake 20 minutes, then check to make sure the crumble topping isn't getting brown already. If it is, cover the pie loosely with foil. Bake 25 to 20 minutes more until the filling is hot.
Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, cut and serve warm.
