Peach Cobbler
Pastry from below
2 #303 (large cans) sliced peaches, either Cling or Elberta
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon nutmeg
1/4 pound of butter, cut into slices
Dough trimmings from pastry
Set oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit. Place rack in center of oven.
Mix all of the above into a large bowl and add the scraps of dough from the prepared crust below. Stir together and pour into the baking dish you have placed the bottom dough portion. Top with the prepared top crust which has been set aside, crimping excess dough around the edges. Cut a few slits in the crust to let out the steam. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, or until crust is a nice golden brown.
May be served hot from the oven, warm, or cold. Great served with Vanilla ice cream. Makes about 8 servings.
Basic Pie Crust:
This crust can be used for almost any kind of filling. The combined ingredients produce enough dough for two 9-inch crusts, or one pie requiring a top and bottom crust.
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shortening (like Crisco)
1/2 cup cold sweet butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons cold orange juice OR ice water
Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Add butter and shortening. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients, using a fork or pastry blender. Mix as well as you like at this point, without fear of overmixing. The next part of the mixing process requires caution so as not to overmix. With a knife, cut orange juice OR water into butter-flour mixture until it forms a ball. Divide the dough in half.
On a large brown paper bag cut open, liberally sprinkle flour. Roll half the dough out at a time into a shape to fit the shape of the baking dish you have selected. Turn the baking dish upside down onton the rolled out dough and, using a knife, cut around the dish about 1/2 beyond the edge of the dish. Fold the dough circle in half then fold over once again to form a a quarter. Carefully transfer the dough into the baking dish by placing the folded dough into the dish and unfold it gently. Follow the directions to form the top crust. Be sure to cut the dough scraps into strips about 1/2 inch square and add to the peach cobbler filling.