A few years ago, I made terrible pies.  No really.  They were not good.  They were runny, caved in.

In short, not cute.

But I kept at it.  Now I can honestly say I know how to make a good pie.

Throughout my pie (mis)adventures, I learned a few things about pie making that I think apply to life as well. These are my pearls of wisdom:

1. Be patient.
Pies, like all good things, take time.  Your crust needs to rest.  First as a ball of dough (at least a few hours). Then as a rolled pie crust (at least an hour, better if a day).

Give it time and keep it cool.  It’ll be worth it in the end.

2.  When life gives you ____, make pie.
In this case, peach pie.

Leave the skin on, sometimes things are better when they’re a little rough around the edges.  Remember, pies (and you) don’t need to be perfect.

3.  Be generous with the sugar.

Both in pies and in life, the more sugar, the better.  Smile at strangers.  Hug your friends.  Kiss your loved ones.  You won’t regret it.

4.  Don’t forget a little spice.

A dash of cinnamon makes most pies delicious.  A little sass in your life won’t hurt either.  Just a dash.  Not too much.  No one likes a diva.

5.  Sometimes things don’t go your way…
and you drop a piece of the filling on the floor.

When things fall apart, wipe it up and carry on.

6. Fill your life with sweet things.

I’m not talking about inducing diabetes, sometimes a sweet thing doesn’t have to be food.  Nice people.  Good books.  Cute puppies.  All sweet things.

7. Don’t be afraid to get complicated

Even if in the end it’s not perfect.  It’ll be worth the effort.

8.  If you’re not ready for a pie in the oven yet, wrap it up.

Yeah I said it.  Truth.

9.  Lastly, like the first lesson, be patient some more.

It’s a long process, and takes about an hour to bake (at 375F).  But in the end it’s totally worth it.  Can’t we say that about most things… degrees. relationships. work.

Peach Pie

1 recipe for pie crust (I like Joy of Baking’s, except I double the sugar)
6-7 peaches, sliced
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup flour (plus more for rolling out your crust)

Make pie crust a day in advance, roll out about 2/3 of the dough and place in pie pan.  Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.

For the filling, in a bowl, toss together peaches, sugar, cinnamon and flour.  Set aside to let the juices come out as you roll out the top of the pie.

Roll out the other third of the dough.  Either cut into strips and weave into a lattice top or simply place rolled dough on top of filled pie.  Flute the edges.  Refrigerate while you preheat the oven to 375F.

Once the oven is heated, bake for 20 minutes at 375F, reduce heat to 350F and bake for another 40-60 minutes or until golden brown and the juice are bubbling.

Allow to cool completely and serve (or like I did, give it to a friend to enjoy).