Peach Blueberry Crumb Pie

Ingredients

• 1/2 batch all-butter Perfect Pie Crust, chilled
• 6 to 7 cups peaches, halved and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries, stems removed
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, optional

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the crust, use the all-butter Perfect Pie Crust method, making half the recipe, then chill the dough for 1 hour so it has time to firm up. When you’re ready to roll, leave it at room temperature just until it softens enough to work with; in a hot summer kitchen, that can be only 5 to 10 minutes.
2. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a loose circle sized for a standard 9-inch pie pan. Ease it carefully into the pan, then slide the crust back into the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes while you get the filling together, so it stays nice and cold.
3. In a large bowl, gently mix the peaches and blueberries with the sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch, using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Let the fruit hang out for a few minutes while you make the crumb topping.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, pinch of salt, and ground ginger, if you’re using it, with a fork, working out any brown sugar lumps as you go. Pour in the melted butter and mix until the flour is fully worked in. Then use your clean hands to pull everything together, helping the butter distribute evenly and letting those crumbs form naturally.
5. Take the chilled pie crust out of the fridge and spoon in the fruit filling, spreading it evenly so it fills the crust. Scatter the crumb topping across the pie; most of the fruit will be covered, and the crumbs should look charmingly uneven.
6. Bake the pie at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes, then raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the topping is browned and the filling is bubbling. Move the pie from the oven to a cooling rack, and let it cool for about 2 very long hours before you slice it.
7. Keep the pie in the refrigerator for about 1 week, though the crust will dry out a bit over time. From the fridge, it reheats nicely with a gentle warm-up in the microwave or in a low oven at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes.