Vanilla-Cardamom Peach Pie

Recipe by Anna Gill

Serves: 8

1 doubled recipe “All Butter Pie Crust” (see below)

⅔ cup, plus 2 teaspoons, granulated sugar
½ to ¾ vanilla bean, sliced halfway through lengthwise
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (scant) ground cardamom
3 ¾ pounds firm but ripe unpeeled peaches, halved, pitted, each half cut into 4 slices (about 10 cups)
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes and kept cold
Whipping cream (for glaze)
Vanilla ice cream

ALL-BUTTER PIE CRUST
Yield: 1, 9 inch pie crust (can be doubled)

1¼cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, preferably a European-style butter
like Plugra, cut into ½-inch pieces and re-chilled
2 to 5 tablespoons ice cold vodka (it evaporates and makes crust flakier)

PIE CRUST
1. In a food processor, briefly pulse together the flour and salt. Add butter and pulse until mixture forms chickpea-size pieces (3 to 5 one-second pulses).
2. Add vodka 1 tablespoon at a time, the fewer tablespoons the better. Pulse after adding each tablespoon until mixture is just moist enough to hold together. 
3. Form dough into a ball, wrap with plastic and flatten into as wide a disk as you quickly can. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before rolling out and baking. If doubling the recipe for two crusts, be sure to divide dough into two balls and form two disks before chilling.
4. Roll out the two discs on a floured surface as needed for your recipe.

FILLING
1. Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F.
2. Place the ⅔ cup sugar into a processor, then scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod into the sugar in the processor. Pulse a few times to mix well.
3. Sift vanilla sugar through strainer into large bowl; discard any large bits in strainer.
4. Add flour and cardamom to vanilla sugar mix and pulse until well blended. Place the floury mix into a large mixing bowl.
5. Add prepared peaches to flour-sugar mixture and toss gently to coat. Set aside.
6. Roll out first pie crust disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim dough overhang to ½ inch.
7. Spoon peach mixture into crust; dot with butter.
8. Roll out second pie crust disk on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round.
9. Drape dough over peach filling; trim overhang to 1 ½ inches. Fold top and bottom edges under, pressing together to seal. Crimp edges decoratively. Using small sharp knife, cut 2-inch-long X in center of top crust to allow steam to escape.
10. Brush crust lightly with whipping cream; sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar.
11. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet.
12. Bake until crust is golden, peaches are tender, and juices bubble thickly through cut in top crust, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
13. Transfer pie to rack and cool until lukewarm, about 2 hours.
14. Serve pie lukewarm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

NOTE: The European butter has a much higher fat content and is much better for pie crust.