A perfect fall dessert - Ginger Peach Pie with a Pecan topping

Per the request of many, here is the recipe for the peach pie. 

Because:

• I had little time to plan (the peaches were quite ripe)
• It was too late to go to the store for the things I needed to make a pastry crust
• I hadn't worked with peaches before
• I couldn't check the flavor of the fruit (needed everything for the pie).

I decided to prepare the filling before I made the pie crust.  So I pulled out my new 12" saucepan and got started:

Filling
Method 1 (if you don't have a good feel for what the results will be)
In a saucepan:

• 2-3 lbs of ripe fresh peaches (depends on ripeness - riper peaches will have a higher water content which will evaporate while cooking)
• 1/4-1/2 cup of brown or natural sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of dried ginger (easier, what I used and gives a milder taste), or (1/4 cup of fine shredded fresh ginger (preferred)
• Add water to float the fruit in your saucepan.

Bring to a mild boil and simmer covered for the first 45 minutes to meld the flavors then remove the lid and continue until the fruit is thoroughly cooked and a thick syrup forms (about an hour or possibly more).   Stir frequently throughout the process to avoid burning the fruit or the sugar.    Once you remove the lid, start taste testing the syrup adding salt, ginger and lemon juice in small increments (1/4 teaspoon for the salt, 1 teaspoon for the lemon juice and 1/8 cup (1oz for raw ginger or 1/4 teaspoon for the powdered ginger) until it taste the way you want it.  This will vary depending on the ripeness of the peaches, freshness of the lemon juice and the quality of the ginger you are using.   For a tarter pie, you may want to add as much as 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.  When done, set aside to cool while you work on the crust.

Method 2 (If you are very confident - this will actually produce a better product)
Make the crust first then add all the ingredients (but use no water!!!).   Sprinkle the the spices and sugar over the peaches before applying the topping.


Crust
I used a pre-made graham cracker crust for mine, but it would actually be better with a nice pastry crust - I recommend this one from the Martha Stewart website if you have a food processor (my sister Celene who makes great pastries recommended this to me): 

http://www.marthastewart.com/254603/pate-brisee-pie-dough

She says that it never fails and you can prep and freeze it for later use.


Topping
I used an old favorite here pecan/praline

1 package of chopped pecans
1 stick of unsalted butter (broken into small pieces)
1/2 cup of brown or natural sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
 - optional -
1 teaspoon of vanilla


In your food processor:
Put the pecan chips in first and pulse the power (about 5-10 seconds at a shot) until you have fine chips.
Throw everything else in and pulse the power  until everything is well mixed, but stop before it gets creamy.

For a graham cracker crust:
Set the oven for 375.

For a pastry crust
Set the oven to 400.

Assembly
Place filling in the crust and then, starting from the edges, working towards the center,  ladle on the nut mixture.  Spread to cover as uniformly as possible and make sure that it seals the outer edges.

Put the pie in the oven.  If you have a pastry crust, reduce the heat to 350 after 15 minutes.  Let it bake until the topping turns a nice medium to dark brown (but not till it's burnt).

Serving suggestions:
This goes very well hot,  with vanilla ice cream a la mode.  Or a wedge of sharp cheddar cheese.  A nice chilled German dessert wine (Auslese, Berentroppenauslese, Eiswein), or a chilled pear brandy will also go well.

Enjoy!  Let me know how your attempts worked out.