Ragtagity: Peach Pandowdy

(Pandowdy - It is a deep-dish dessert that can be made with a variety of fruit, but is most commonly made with apples sweetened with molasses or brown sugar. The crust is broken up during baking and pushed down into the fruit to allow the juices to come through. Sometimes the crust is on the bottom and the desert is inverted before serving. The exact origin of the name Pandowdy is unknown, but it is thought to refer to the deserts plain or dowdy appearance)
Whats cooking America

Peach Pandowdy is a old recipe of sorts. I found it long ago in a older (1980) 'Betty Crocker's Cooking American Style' cookbook. It's actually called 'Apple Pandowdy', but since I had some fresh peaches, I changed it! Oh, the Apple version is awesome, but with peaches in season right now and the fact that I love cobblers I tweeked it! I love pies, but I think what I love most about pies is the crust! This is a nice crusty fruity dessert. I actually combined two different recipes for this one. Since the original recipe calls for apples and how to make the apple filling, I had to find a way to make the peach filling, and I don't like it runny. I like it thick and bubbly, so I found a recipe for peach cobbler and used it combined with the crust part of the 'pandowdy'.

This recipe only took about 20 or so min. to make, so it's not a difficult recipe. But let me tell you, if you want to impress your mother-in-law, try it, (she will think you spent hours!!!) It's amazing!!!!!!

Peach filling-
8 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, sliced into thin pieces
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons corn starch

In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish.

Crust-
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 c. shortening
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons melted butter

Mix flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening. Sprinkle milk, 1 Tablespoon at a time, mixing until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl.
Gather pastry into ball, roll out on flour surface into shape of pan (square or round), pick up with rolling pin and lay over peaches.
Brush with 3 Tablespoons of melted butter.
Bake at 350 for 30 min; remove from oven. Cut crust into pieces with sharp knife; mixing pieces into peaches. Bake another 15 min or until crust is golden and peaches tender.

Serve a la mode or simply by itself!