Peach Spiceberry Pie – A New Spin on an Old Favorite

This Pie Is Not JUST Peachy!

On a visit to Athens Ohio earlier this year, I discovered a new spice…well, new to me anyway.  Wandering through a quaint little shop packed with locally-sourced products I came across a shelf of various treats made with Spicebush Berries.  Wha-a-a-at?  Spicebush berries? I was immediately intrigued…this is A Slice of Spice after all.  Not knowing what in the world I was going to do with them, I bought a package of the dried berries (they look a bit like peppercorns) and headed out to continue exploring the town.  Once I was home, I put them in my freezer and promptly forgot about them (we have had a little bit going on recently!).  But last week when we were packing up to take my daughter to grad school I found the little beauties and knew I had to pick a great recipe to use them in.

A Little Background on the Spicebush

The spicebush, or Lindera benzoin if you are a botanist (or a Jeopardy aficionado who just likes to know these things) is also sometimes called the Northern Spicebush.  It is a native American shrub that thrives in partial shade with damp soil, such as that at the edge of a forest clearing.  It is a lovely plant that can grow up to 10’ tall, with 2-5” tear-shaped leaves.  It is dioecious, which means both male and female plants are required to produce fruit.  The female plants produce fragrant yellow flowers in the early spring and in autumn the bright red berries.

Using the Spicebush Berries

Spicebush berries are also sold as Appalachian Allspice, and they can be used in any recipes that usually call for allspice.  You will probably have to order them online, as most retail grocers don’t carry them. Their flavor profile is a sweet allspice-like note with a slight peppery bite.  This makes them great for both savory and sweet dishes!  They will add a special touch to pies, ice cream, and spice cakes, as well as enhance meat rubs and marinades. Both fresh and dried spicebush berries should be stored in the freezer as they have a high fat content and can go rancid at room temperatures.  To bring out the most flavor, dry-roast the dried berries before grinding and using in your recipes.

My Spiced-Up Peach Pie

I love fruit pies, so using the spicebush berries in one wasn’t a stretch but deciding which pie to make was.  That is until I walked through the produce at the market and caught a whiff of that sweet, succulent aroma of ripe peaches.  I rushed home with my treasures and dug out my favorite peach pie recipe.

Peeling and slicing ripe peaches can be a bit messy, with the juices running down your arms and the cutting board.  It was definitely a time for my cute apron!  But the end result is really worth the effort.  And if you don’t love making your own pie crusts this recipe works just fine with the refrigerated pie crusts from the store.  Just bring them to room temperature before you work with them or they will break apart.

Don’t skimp on the resting time for the peach/sugar mixture…this is the step that draws out all of those juices you will use later in the recipe.  I know it’s hard to wait when you can smell the goodness, but it will make the pie that much better!

“Family life is a bit like a runny peach pie – not perfect but who’s complaining?” – Robert Breault

The pie is baked until the crust is golden and those thick juices are bubbling (I love the pockets of juice that ooze out of the lattice work crust and caramelize).  The pungent smell of the spicebush berries filled the kitchen and mixed wonderfully with that summery peach fragrance.

We ate our pie while it was still warm, and added a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream…umm, umm…southern heaven!

My first experience with spicebush berries was so successful we have already started looking for new ways to incorporate it into our favorite dishes.  I will let you know which ones are successful.  In the meantime, I hope you will give it a try…you won’t be disappointed.

Until next time, remember to always add a little Slice of Spice to your every day!

Michele

Print

Peach Spiceberry Pie

A delicious summer treat made with juicy peaches and peppery Spicebush berries!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Resting Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Servings 8

Author Michele

Ingredients

• 3 cups pastry flour or all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1/2 cup ice cold water
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 5 cups peeled, sliced peaches
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp ground spicebush berries
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp butter

Instructions

1. For crust: Sift flour and salt into a large bowl.  Cut in shortening and butter until the mixture is pea sized crumbs.  Mix the water and vinegar together.  Add to the crumb mixture and mix just until the dough is combined and handles well.

2. Sprinkle flour on your rolling surface.  Split the dough into two equal pieces.  Roll out one piece of dough until it is about 1/2" larger than your pie pan.  Line the pan with the first crust, making sure it is flat against the sides and bottom of the pan.

3. For filling: In a large bowl, combine sugars and peaches and toss gently.  Cover and let stand for one hour.  Drain peaches, reserving juice.

4. In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch, spicebush berry, cinnamon, and salt.  Gradually stir in reserved peach juice.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for two minutes until thickened.  Remove from heat.  Stir in lemon juice and butter.  Gently fold into peaches until well mixed.  Pour into crust.

5. Roll out remaining pie crust.  Cut slits into crust, or cut into 1" strips and weave into a lattice crust over the top of the filling, or use a small cookie cutter to cut shapes into the crust and lay over the filling.  Fold the top dough edge under the bottom dough edge and press gently to seal it together.

6. Cover edges loosely with foil.  Bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.  Remove foil.  Cool on a wire rack.