The Mysterious Disappearing Peach Pie

Phyllis Quinn, a dear friend of mine for decades, reminded me of a funny anecdote, what we call the story of “the mysterious disappearing peach pie.”

A long time ago in the mid-eighties, Phyllis was working for us as a nanny helping with our newborn son and 9-year-old daughter. It was an exciting time when my husband Rajiv’s company 3CI went public, which was pretty uncommon in those days before the dot.com era. This little company did a small offering and traded on the NASDAQ STOCK exchange. Phyllis was there for 3CI’s second offering on March 18, 1987, and I know this event put Fort Collins on the map. It was a New York investment banking cultural experience in the little sleepy town of Fort Collins. Local and national newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, had headlined this event as “3CI leading edge of high tech finds niche in computer software field.”

It was an event to celebrate, so we planned to hold a dinner party in our backyard. Lawyers, investment bankers, CPAs, investors, and friends were invited to this party—everyone who contributed to this successful offering. Phyllis was in charge of grilling the bacon-wrapped steaks and helping to serve all the guests. Some guests were politely asking for sandwich baggies and having her grill an extra steak which they put in their pockets for breakfast the next day. There was a wide assortment of delicious and scrumptious foods, including two peach pies made from juicy Western Slope Colorado peaches.

It was a lively, joyous event, with everyone enjoying the food and champagne as they mingled and laughed. But this event was more than a culinary experience. It was also an endearing moment that is imprinted forever in our memories. Why? Well, when it came time to enjoy the peach pies, we discovered they were missing. Someone had absconded with the infamous peach pies! What do you do when the desserts you so carefully prepared for a momentous event suddenly disappear? You ask for it to be returned, NO questions asked, that’s what! I jokingly announced to the guests that the desserts should be returned, and magically, minutes later, they reappeared. To this day, we don’t know the culprit, but all has been forgiven. Here is that peach pie recipe that was apparently so tempting. If you make this for a special event, make sure you keep a close watch on your desserts or they might make a mysterious disappearance just like ours did.

The Famous or (Infamous) Peach Pie Recipe for a 10-inch pie

2 pie crusts (homemade or store-bought)

8 cups ripe sweet Palisade peaches, peeled and sliced

1 cup sugar (these peaches are juicy and sweet)

2 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch

½ teaspoon allspice

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon  

Or substitute dry spices with 1 ½ tablespoons of Bina’s Aromatic Chai (binamehta.com)

Whipped cream

Mix the peaches in a bowl with all the other ingredients. Let the mixture sit for a bit and drain excess liquid. Place the mixture in the crust. and then place the top crust on top, venting it to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn down the temperature to 350 degrees and bake until golden brown, about 40-50 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before serving if you can trust your guests. Serve with whipped cream.