Page 344 - Pie Squared

Juice of 1 lemon

2 (3-inch) sprigs lemon verbena, optional

6 ounces (168 g) almond paste

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons sparkling or granulated sugar

For the crust: In the food processor, pulse the flour, butter, and
salt until the butter is in small pieces coated with flour, about 15
times. Add the water all at once and process until the mixture almost

forms a ball. Form the dough into a 6- by 4-inch rectangle using
plastic wrap and a bench scraper to firmly press the dough into a
cohesive form. Wrap tightly and refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm
slightly. Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the

other. Roll out the larger piece to 11 by 15 inches and place in the
slab pie pan, pressing it into the corners and allowing the excess to
drape over the sides. Refrigerate. Roll out the second piece of dough

to 10 by 14 inches, place it on a lightly floured sheet of parchment,
and refrigerate.
For the filling: Cut the peaches into slim slices or bite-sized
cubes. In a large bowl, mix together the peaches, sugar, cornstarch,
lemon juice, and lemon verbena and stir well to dissolve the sugar

and coat the peach slices in plenty of lemony juices to discourage
browning. If time allows, cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours to let the
flavors develop.

Discard the lemon verbena from the fruit mixture. Pour the fruit
and every bit of the sugary syrup languishing in the bottom of the
bowl into the bottom crust and push it around until evenly distributed.
Crumble the almond paste over the fruit. Heat the oven to 425°F; if
you have one, place a baking stone, Baking Steel, or inverted baking

sheet on the center rack to heat (see here).
Place the top crust over the filling. Trim the excess dough with
scissors. Crimp and slash. Stir the egg yolk and sugar together and

brush it generously across the top crust, avoiding the edges. If there
is time, freeze or refrigerate the pie one more time for at least 20