Miss Ruthie’s Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked double pie crust (see below)
• 8 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp ground allspice
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted (for double pie crust)
• ½ tsp salt (for double pie crust)
• 1 cup vegetable shortening, chilled (for double pie crust)
• 1 egg, beaten (for double pie crust)
• 6 tbsps cold milk (for double pie crust)

Directions:

1. For Double Pie Crust: In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients with a fork or by pinching the shortening into the flour mixture with your fingers. The result should be coarse crumbs and small clumps the size of peas. Add the egg and mix well.Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time. Don’t be afraid to add more milk if necessary to achieve a dough that’s wet enough to form into a ball. Being careful not to overwork the dough, form the dough into a ball with your hands. Wrap the ball in plastic, then chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.Transfer the dough from the refrigerator to a lightly floured surface. Flatten the ball slightly and dust the top of it with flour before rolling it out with a rolling pin. Divide the dough into two portions before rolling. Begin rolling at the center of the dough and work outward. Roll the dough out into a circle about 4 inches wider than the pie pan it will be placed in.
2. For Cobbler:
3. Preheat the oven to 475 F.
4. Lightly butter an 8-inch square glass dish. Set it aside.
5. Prepare the pasty for a double-crust pie. Set it aside.
6. Combine the peaches, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in a 4-quart Dutch oven. Allow the mixture to sit until the dry ingredients are dissolved and a syrup forms, about 15 minutes. Bring the peach mixture to a boil over medium heat. Decrease the heat to low and cook until the peaches are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the butter.
7. Roll out half of the pie pastry, then cut it into an 8-inch square. Spoon half of the peach mixture into the prepared dish. Cover the mixture with the pastry square. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly browned. Take the dish out of the oven and spoon the remaining peach mixture over the baked pastry. Roll out the remaining pastry, then cut it into strips about an inch wide. Arrange the strips in a loose lattice pattern over the peach mixture. Bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned. Remove from the oven. Serve warm.