Double Crust Pastry
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons chilled shortening
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water
Combine flour and salt; cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, evenly over surface; stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape into a ball; cover and chill until ready to use.
Double Crusted Peach Cobbler
8 cups sliced fresh peaches - about 5 pounds
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
1/3 cup butter or margarine
Pastry for double crust 9-inch pie
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
Mix peaches together with sugar, flour and nutmeg in a Dutch oven; set aside a few minutes until syrup forms.
Bring peach mixture to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat. Add extract and butter.
Stir until butter melts. Spoon half of the peaches into a lightly buttered 8 x 12-inch baking dish. Now roll half of the pastry to 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface, and cut a rectangle to cover the peaches. Bake at 475 degrees F for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Spoon remaining peaches over baked pastry until all is covered. Roll remaining pastry to 1/8 inch thickness, and cut into 1-inch strips; arrange in a lattice design over peaches. Bake 15 to 18 more minutes until browned.