Southern Peach Pie

• 6 cups about 1½–2 pounds, sweet, ripe peaches, halved, pitted, sliced and chopped
• ¼–½ cup sugar; to taste
• A pinch of fresh ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• ⅓ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
• 1 double-crust pie
• ½ tablespoon butter
• 1–2 teaspoons sugar, for on top of the pie
• Egg Wash: 1 egg white plus 1 tablespoon water

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the peaches, sugar, nutmeg, lemon juice, salt, flour, and quick-cooking tapioca in a big bowl. Mix lightly until the fruit is coated.

Roll out the bottom dough and place it in a pie pan.

Spoon in the fruit filling and dot with butter cut into little pieces.

Roll out the remaining dough, lay it over the fruit, and cut 5 to 6 vents on top. Trim excess dough from the edges and crimp.

Lightly brush some of the egg white wash over the entire pie, including the edges.

Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. When there are 10 to 15 minutes of bake time left, open the oven, pull the pie out, and quickly and evenly sprinkle the top of the pie with sugar. Close the oven and continue baking for final 10 to 15 minutes, or until you see steady bubbling in the filling coming through the vents.

Remove the pie from the oven and cool completely before serving so the filling can set up, warm peach pie is delicious too.