The Red Haven peaches are ripe and Fresh from Oregon and just in time for me to use in my pie.  This was a special pie I baked for the 2013 Clackamas County Fair this past Sunday.  The slices of fresh peaches mixed with vanilla extract and baked in this melt in your mouth hazelnut pie crust got me a blue ribbon.  A big thanks to Pilgrim Orchard for sponsoring the contest this year.  My favorite Red Haven peaches are now ready so pick some up at your local farm stand or farmers market and bake a blue ribbon pie!

Blue Ribbon Vanilla Peach Pie with Hazelnut Crust

Hazelnut pie crust ~ recipe below

8 cups fresh peaches, peeled & sliced
2 cups sugar
4 Tablespoons Bob Red Mill flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In large pot combine the peaches, sugar, flour and cinnamon, set aside until syrup forms. Bring the peach mixture to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes or until peaches are tender. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and butter, stirring until butter melts.

Pour into prepared pie crust. Roll out second dough and with a mini leaf cookie cutter cut shapes from dough. Start from the outer edge of the pie and work into the center laying down the leaves in a circular pattern.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 30 minutes or until crust is a golden brown and the juice is bubbling from the pie. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack at least 1 hour.

Hazelnut Pie crust
3 cups Bob Red Mill flour
1/2 cup Toasted Oregon Hazelnuts, ground
1 tsp salt
1 ¼ cups shortening
1 egg
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
5 Tbsp cold water

In large bowl combine the flour, hazelnuts and salt. Add shortening and cut into flour until it resembles coarse meal. In small bowl combine the egg, vinegar, and water. Add and quickly mix into mixture until combined. Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic, refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out the 1st piece of dough to fit a 9”pie plate, roll the dough under and crimp the edges, set aside. The second piece of dough will be used to cut out leaf shapes for the top of the pie.