Dessert

Perfect Peach Hand Pies

June 27, 2020

I’ve been making hand pies for almost as long as I’ve been baking (a long time!).  Peach is my favorite, by far.  I’ve developed several recipes for these, each a little different in some way….the dough, the filling, the cooking method, etc.  None were ever just right.  Until this one.  I think it’s perfect.   For one thing, they are baked, not fried.  That cuts down on a lot of the mess and stress in hand pies.  But you don’t sacrifice by not frying, this dough comes through buttery, slightly sweet, flaky and crispy.

The filling has been a work in progress for years.  I’ve gone back and forth on additions such as cinnamon, vanilla extract, almond extract….all the things that normally ‘go with’ peaches.  I’ve decided they just mask the true peach flavor I wanted, so here, it’s just peaches, a pinch of salt and butter.  This lets the peach flavor shine.

I hope you like them as much as I do.

Let me know!


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Print Recipe
 Perfect Peach Hand Pies
The latest iteration in the search for the perfect Peach Hand Pie. This will be the last. It's perfect!
Course Dessert
Servings
hand pies
Ingredients
Dough
Peach Filling
  • 20 oz. peaches Fresh or frozen
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2-3/4 cup sugar If using ripe, fresh peaches start with the smaller amount of sugar and adjust after it's cooked for a while
  • 1 pinch table salt
  • 2 Tbsp. salted butter
  • 1 egg for egg wash
Course Dessert
Servings
hand pies
Ingredients
Dough
Peach Filling
  • 20 oz. peaches Fresh or frozen
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2-3/4 cup sugar If using ripe, fresh peaches start with the smaller amount of sugar and adjust after it's cooked for a while
  • 1 pinch table salt
  • 2 Tbsp. salted butter
  • 1 egg for egg wash
Instructions
Make the Dough
  1. Place flour, salt and sugar into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 5 or 6 times until combined.
  2. Add butter that's been cut into 1 Tbsp. chunks.
  3. Pulse until mixture looks like damp sand (10-15 1 sec. pulses). Do not overwork.
  4. Add the water, 2 Tbsp. at a time, pulsing a few times after each addition.
  5. Stop the processor as soon as dough begins to clump on the blade.
  6. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently gather it together until it JUST holds together. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. This allows the gluten that was developed during the mixing process to relax and the moisture to redistribute through the dough so that it will be easier to work when the time comes. Dough can remain in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Make the Filling
  1. Place peaches, water, 1/2 cup of the sugar and the pinch of salt in a medium saucepan or non-stick skillet. Cook over medium heat until bubbling and thickened, 20-30 min. Taste for sweetness and add the extra 1/4 cup of sugar now if you want it. Stir until added sugar is dissolved.
  2. Crush the peaches with a potato masher or fork until there are no large clumps left.
  3. Filling is ready when a spoon dragged through the filling leaves a path for a few seconds.
  4. Remove from heat and let cool about 20 min. It should be thick and slightly chunky. It will thicken a bit more while cooling. You will have between approx. 2 cups filling. Add the 2 Tbsp. butter. It will mostly melt, but maybe not all the way, which is fine. As you can see from the picture, mine had tiny flecks of butter left after this step.
  5. Let filling cool completely
Make the Hand Pies
  1. Remove dough from fridge and let sit at room temp for 10 minutes.
  2. Halve dough and keep the portion you're not rolling covered in the plastic wrap so it doesn't start drying out.
  3. Roll dough to 1/8 in. thickness. Make sure after every roll that you can easily move the dough on your surface, but use as little extra flour as possible or the dough will end up tough.
  4. Cut 5 or 6 inch diameter circles of dough. You will get approx. 4 from each 1/2 of the dough. You can combine and re-roll the scraps for an extra pie or two.
  5. Combine egg and 1 tsp. water in a small bowl and beat with a fork until frothy. Set aside.
  6. Take 1 dough circle and brush entire edge with egg wash.
  7. Add 2 Tbsp. dough to slightly off center of circle. Fold dough over filling seal with your fingertips. This needs to be a tight seal or your filling will bubble out when baking.
  8. I add a decorative edge by using the index finger of one hand and the thumb and index finger of the other. Place the index finger of your left hand over the filling side of the pie and rest it at the sealed edge of dough. Using your index finger and thumb of your right hand, push the dough around the index finger of your left hand until you have a scalloped shape. Work your way around the sealed edge of the pie.
  9. Place each pie on a baking sheet covered with parchment.
  10. When all pies are formed, place baking sheet in refrigerator for at least 30 min. This will allow the butter in the dough to firm up and will result in a flakier pie. Preheat the oven now to 400 degrees.
  11. When pies have chilled for 30 min. and the oven has pre-heated for 30 min., remove baking sheet from fridge.
  12. Brush each hand pie with egg wash. If you want, sprinkle with a little sugar.
  13. Place baking sheet into hot oven and bake for 30-40 min., or until pie crusts are golden brown.
  14. Let hand pies cool for 10 min. before eating.
  15. Enjoy!

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