Fresh Peach Fried Pies With A Cinnamon Crust And Roasted Pea

-FOR THE CINNAMON CRUST-
2 c Bleached all-purpose flour
1/2 ts Ground cinnamon
1 1/2 ts Sugar
1/2 ts Salt
3/4 c Lard
3 tb Ice water; as needed, up to
-4
2 tb Cinnamon sugar

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Put the peaches in a shallow baking pan and rub with the olive oil. Season
with the salt and pepper. Bake until very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove
from the oven and let cool completely. Peel and stone the peaches,
reserving the peels and stones.

Put the peaches in a food processor, reserving any juice, and puree until
smooth. Combine the reserved peach juice with the cornstarch to make a
slurry. Combine the slurry with the peach puree and cook over medium heat
until thick, about 5 minutes. Add the honey and mix well. Cool and
refrigerate until ready to use.

For the ice cream, in a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the peach peels
and stones, the raspberries, sugar and the cream. Bring to a boil, reduce
to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Remove the
stones, then puree the mixture using a hand-held blender or food processor.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Place the mixture back in the
saucepan.

In a separate small bowl, whisk the yolks until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of the
cream mixture to the yolks and whisk well. Add the yolk mixture back to the
cream and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and
strain through a fine mesh sieve. Cool in an ice bath until chilled. Freeze
in an ice cream machine according to manufactures directions. Keep frozen
until ready to use.

For the crust, combine the flour, cinnamon, sugar and salt, in a
medium-size mixing bowl. Add the lard and work it in with your hands until
the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time,
working it in with your hands. Add only as much as you need for a smooth
ball of dough to form. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for
at least 30 minutes.

To assemble, remove the crust from the refrigerator and bring to room
temperature. Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Divide the dough in
half, saving half for later use.

Roll the dough out 1/8-inch thick into a 14-inch circle. Using a 6-inch
round cutter, cut the dough into 6 circles. Spread a sixth of the peach
filling in the center of each round, fold the dough over, and crimp the
edges together with a fork. Heat a deep-fryer to 360 degrees F. Fry the
pies, 2 to 3 at time, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Season
with the cinnamon sugar.

Serve each pie with a scoop of the Roasted Peach and Raspberry Ice Cream.

Yield: 6 servings