Sunny Peaches — Cream Pie -- The Pie We Passed Around When CJ Said He Was Sure

Thanksgiving 2020. CJ arrived at ten AM and he sat at the kitchen table while I worked and he said, "Mama, I met someone." He said her name was Shanice, Shanice Carter, from Decatur, Alabama, a schoolteacher, and he had met her at a community event in Huntsville three months ago and she was the person he had been looking for without knowing he was looking and he had not mentioned her until now because he was not sure, and now he was sure. He said this last part—I am sure—the way Simms men say the things they are most certain about: quietly, with a directness that is almost surprising in its lack of decoration, a simple statement of fact delivered to the most important audience.

I said, "Well. Bring her to Christmas." He said, "I was hoping you'd say that." I said, "Baby, what else would I say? You are sure. Bring her." He stood up and hugged me over the kitchen counter with the counter between us, the hug of a man who still knows how to be someone's child even when he is a grown man with his own condominium and his own cast iron skillet. I held him for a moment. I thought about Marcus. I always think about Marcus when CJ is in this kitchen—the two boys who were together in this house, the one who is here and the one who isn't. Both still here, both still mine. Always.

Thanksgiving dinner: nine people, patio table, the October long table borrowed for the occasion, the November Alabama air cool and clear. Marcus's candle. Bernice's water glass. CJ announced Shanice to the family over sweet potato pie and there was the warm family response that this family has: a collective exhale of relief, several questions simultaneously, Doris asking immediately for Shanice's last name as if she intended to investigate. I said, "Doris." She said, "I'm just asking." That is a Simms Thanksgiving. That is every Simms Thanksgiving. Loud, crowded, too much food, someone asking for a last name. Marcus would have teased CJ about it for the entire meal. I could almost hear him.

Every Simms Thanksgiving ends with pie — it is not negotiable, it is not optional, it is simply what happens. Sweet potato pie is the standard, but some years I make something that leans a little lighter, a little brighter, because the day itself is already so heavy with everything we carry and everything we love. This peaches and cream pie is the one I reach for when I want the dessert to feel like a small, quiet celebration — the kind that doesn’t announce itself but just sits there on the table being exactly right, the way CJ was exactly right when he said he was sure, and we all knew it before he finished the sentence.

Sunny Peaches & Cream Pie

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 9

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell
• 1 can (29 oz) sliced peaches in juice, drained (reserve 3 tablespoons juice)
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Place unbaked pie shell in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and set aside.
2. Prepare the peaches. Drain the canned peaches well, reserving 3 tablespoons of the juice. Pat the peach slices dry with paper towels and arrange them in a single layer across the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.
3. Make the cream filling. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar together with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add flavor and body. Mix in the vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, sour cream, flour, and the reserved 3 tablespoons of peach juice. Beat until fully combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Fill and bake. Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over the peaches in the pie shell. Bake at 350°F for 40—45 minutes, until the center is just set and the edges are lightly golden. The center may have a slight jiggle — it will firm as it cools.
6. Cool completely. Remove from oven and allow the pie to cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour, then refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours before slicing. Serve cold or at room temperature, topped with whipped cream if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 33g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 210mg