Flaky Peach Hand Pies
Bake up a batch of these golden, flaky Peach Hand Pies stuffed with brown butter and bourbon-kissed peaches. This nostalgic, hand-held dessert is the perfect bakery-worthy treat for summer cookouts.
Equipment
- Food processor
- Rolling Pin
- Medium saucepan
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
FOR THE PASTRY DOUGH:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into half inch pieces - very cold
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, very cold
- 5-8 tablespoons ice water
FOR THE PEACH BOURBON FILLING:
- 4 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and diced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons bourbon, divided
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
FOR SEALING AND FINISHING THE HAND PIES:
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1/4 cup demerara or sparkling sugar
FOR THE BOURBON GLAZE:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons bourbon or cream
Instructions
Make the dough
- Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times so everything is evenly blended. Scatter in the very cold butter and vegetable shortening, then pulse in short bursts 15 to 20 times, until the fat is cut in and the pieces look no larger than small peas.
- Pour in 3 tablespoons of ice water and pulse 5 to 6 times. Add 2 more tablespoons and pulse 2 to 3 times, then pinch a little dough between your fingers, it should just begin to hold together without feeling wet.
- Add more ice water a bit at a time, pulsing 2 to 3 times after each addition, until the mixture resembles crumbly Play-Doh and can be pressed into a mass. Tip it into a large bowl and gather it gently with your hands into a ball.
- Cut the dough in half, shape each half into a ball, then flatten each one into an 8-inch disc. Wrap well and chill for 1 hour so the gluten relaxes and the butter firms back up.
Cook the peach filling
- Set a medium saucepan over medium heat and brown 1 tablespoon of butter until it smells nutty and turns a warm amber color. Add the diced peaches, brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon, and a sprig of fresh thyme, then bring everything to a lively bubble and lower to a simmer so the fruit can soften and concentrate.
- Once the sugar has dissolved and the peaches look glossy, remove the thyme sprig. Stir in the arrowroot powder and cook just until the juices thicken and lightly coat the spoon, then take the pan off the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of bourbon.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Let the filling cool enough that it is thick and spoonable, not steaming hot, before you start assembling.
Roll and assemble
- Flour your work surface generously. Cut one chilled disc in half lengthwise and keep the rest refrigerated while you work, then flour the rolling pin and dust the top of the dough lightly.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Trim the edges and use a ruler with a pizza cutter to make neat 3 1/2 inch by 5 inch rectangles, then refrigerate the trimmings so you can reroll them later.
- Brush the interior bottom half of each rectangle with a thin layer of egg white. Spoon a generous tablespoon of filling into the center, leaving a clean border, then brush the outer edges with egg wash.
- Fold the dough over the filling and press out any large air pockets. Crimp the edges firmly with a fork so the pies are sealed all the way around.
Bake and glaze
- Transfer the hand pies to a baking sheet and cut a few 1/2 inch ventilation slits in the top of each one. Brush the tops with cream and shower them generously with demerara sugar for that crackly finish.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake 10 to 12 minutes more, until the pies are deeply golden and the edges look crisp.
- Cool the pies to room temperature. While they cool, whisk the powdered sugar with bourbon or cream until smooth, then drizzle the glaze over the tops and let it set for about 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Leak-Proof Pastry: Roasting the peaches in brown butter cooks off excess liquid, making the filling concentrated so the seams are less likely to burst in the oven.
Egg White Barrier: Brush a thin layer of egg white on the inside of the bottom crust. This acts as an insurance policy to repel moisture and keep the base crisp.
Perfect Flakiness: Keep all your ingredients cold, especially the butter and shortening. The cold fat creates steam pockets in the oven, which gives the pie crust its beautiful flaky lift.
Dough Thickness: Roll your dough to exactly 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. This provides enough structure to hold the filling without leaving a doughy, underbaked center.
Fraisage Technique: For extra flaky layers, smear small portions of the mixed dough across the counter with the heel of your hand before gathering it into a ball.
Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.