apricot pie

The weather has cooled down. We're getting more and more tomatoes from the garden, the sunflowers are getting ready to finally have flowers. My days have consisted of rereading the 5th Harry Potter before it comes out in the theaters, craving (and eating) steak, and wanting to bake as many pies as I possibly can, when I'm not at work. Apricots are $1 a pound at the Italian market, and since I can't eat them raw (stupid fruit allergy) I figured the best way to eat them was in a pie. I was right. I feel apricots are under appreciated, everyone loves peaches and plums and even nectarines, but what about apricots? They have such a good flavor. Most apricot recipes I find use dried apricots or, for fresh, are recipes for canning them. I made a delicious, double crusted pie. It is best with good vanilla ice cream and homemade whipped cream.

Apricot Pie

Double recipe pie crust (I used half Crisco veg shortening in stick form and half butter, I found the dough easier to roll out)
2 pounds of apricots, washed and halved, with pits removed
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1 t vanilla
2 T rice flour
3 T melted butter

Mix egg, sugar, vanilla, rice flour and butter in a bowl. Pour over halved apricots and let sit while you roll out the pie crust. Divide the pie crust dough into 2 balls, stuck one in the fridge while you roll out the other. Roll out first ball. Line the bottom of a greased pie plate with the first layer of pie crust, roll out the second, fill the pie plate with the apricot mixture, then cover with the pie crust. bake at 350 for about an hour, covering with foil if the top browns too much. Test with a knife to see if the apricots are soft, when they are, your pie is done!