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Made with homemade peach jam, shortcrust pastry, and fresh ginger, and drizzled with vanilla bean glaze, this peach hand pie recipe makes a sweet addition to any breakfast or brunch.
What Inspired This Peach Hand Pie Recipe?
I didn’t know until recently that August is National Peach Month. In fact, August has been peach month in the United States since way back in 1982, when then-president Ronald Reagan proclaimed it so, in an effort to encourage Americans to buy and consume more peaches.
Not only is it National Peach Month, but August 22nd is Eat a Peach Day, and August 24th has been designated as National Peach Pie Day. There is even a National Peach Council, an organization comprised of peach growers, packers, shippers, and processors whose mission is to promote all things peach-related. Who knew?
While canned and frozen peaches always seem to underwhelm, fresh summer peaches are one of my favorite summertime fruits. Sure, they’re a bit finicky (an underripe or overripe peach is always such a disappointment!) but they’re juicy and delicious when everything goes just right.
For this recipe, I’ve drawn inspiration from a classic recipe: the peach pie. Featuring homemade peach and ginger jam, flaky handmade shortcrust pastry, and a generous drizzle of (orange-tinted!) vanilla bean glaze, these peach and ginger hand pies are easy to make and hard to resist.
Peach Hand Pie Recipe Tips and Tricks
When positioning the top parts of the pies, I like to use my hands to gently stretch the shortcrust pastry discs so that they’re just a bit larger than the bottom pieces. This will allow some extra room to accommodate for the jam, and will make it easier to seal the pastry.
Resist the urge to overfill your hand pies! More jam sounds like a good thing, but if you use too much you won’t be able to seal the pies properly, so they’ll leak in the oven. (Don’t worry if your jam does leak a little bit, though. A “rustic” look is totally appropriate for these peach hand pies!)
Ginger Peach Hand Pie Ingredients and Substitutions
I prefer to make this peach hand pie recipe using my own homemade pastry. However, for a quick shortcut you can just as easily make these hand pies with a store-bought sheet of shortcrust or pre-made pie crust instead.
If you don’t have time to make the jam from scratch, you can use jarred peach jam. Use a high-quality jam, such as Bonne Maman.
I’ve finished my hand pies with a simple peach-tinted vanilla bean glaze and decorated them with nonpareil sprinkles and orange sanding sugar. If desired, you can replace the vanilla in the glaze with another flavoring, such as orange oil.
Feel free to adjust the amount of ginger in this recipe to suit your taste. If you don’t have fresh ginger on hand, you can substitute finely diced candied stem ginger or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger instead.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
This recipe will make approximately six 4-inch round hand pies. If desired, you can cut the pastry into smaller or larger discs, or opt for rectangles instead of circles. This recipe is also easily doubled or tripled if feeding a larger crowd.
Peach hand pies are best enjoyed on the day they are made. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
These hand pies also freeze well. If planning to freeze your hand pies, I suggest skipping the glaze. If desired, you can glaze the pies after thawing. They’re also delicious plain.
Checking for Thread Stage
When preparing the homemade peach jam, you want to make sure that it reaches “thread stage.” You can check for thread stage by using a candy thermometer, or with a simple manual test.
To test manually, spoon a small amount of jam onto a plate and allow it to cool slightly. Pinch the jam between your thumb and forefinger, then slowly pull your fingers apart. If the sugar syrup creates a strand, or “thread,” it is ready to use. If not, continue cooking it a little bit longer.
More hand pie recipes you might enjoy:
Peach and Blueberry Hand Pies
Nutella-Stuffed Wreaths
Mixed Berry Breakfast Pastries
Classic Blueberry Hand Pies, too.
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Peach Hand Pies
- Total Time: 1.5 hours
- Yield: 6-7 4-inch round pastries 1x
Description
A peach hand pie recipe featuring homemade peach jam, shortcrust pastry, fresh ginger, and a vanilla bean glaze.
Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry:
192 grams all purpose flour (1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
105 grams unsalted butter, cold and cubed (7 tablespoons)
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon ice water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Peach and Ginger Jam:
4–5 ripe peaches, peeled and diced
160 grams granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger, or to taste
Vanilla Bean Glaze:
90 grams confectioner’s sugar (2/3 cup)
1 tablespoon whole milk or whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Peach or orange gel food coloring (optional)
Decoration:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Orange sanding sugar, sprinkles, or white nonpareils, for decoration (optional)
Instructions
Pastry:
In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and use your hands to crumble it into the dry ingredients. (The mixture should resemble coarse sand, or breadcrumbs).
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, water, and vanilla bean paste. Add to the flour mixture, and use a bench scraper to mix until just combined, then use your hands to knead until a soft dough forms.
Flatten dough into a disc, wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap, and refrigerate while you prepare the jam.
Peach and Ginger Jam:
In a small saucepan, combine diced peaches, grated ginger, and sugar. Simmer over medium heat until fruit breaks down and jam thickens, and temperature reaches 106° C / 225° F on a digital thermometer. Alternately, you can do a manual test to check for jam stage (see notes above). Remove from heat, scoop into a bowl, and refrigerate while you roll the pastry.
Assembly:
Preheat oven to 190° C / 375° F. Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment or a silicone mat.
On a baking mat or lightly floured countertop, use a rolling pin to roll chilled pastry to approximately 1/8-inch thickness.
Use a 4-inch round cutter to cut the pastry into discs. Re-roll the scraps and cut into additional discs.
Place half of the discs on prepared baking tray. Spoon 1 teaspoon of peach jam into the middle of each disc.
With a pastry brush, apply a thin strip of egg wash around the outer edge of each disc, then top with a second disc of pastry. Use your fingers to gently press down around all edges, sealing the jam inside the pastry. Crimp the edges with a fork.
With a pastry brush, apply a coat of egg wash to the top of each pastry.
Use a sharp knife to cut a small vent in the top of each pastry, or prick the tops with a fork.
Freeze tray for 10 minutes prior to baking.
Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until pastry is deeply golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and allow pastries to cool completely while you prepare the glaze.
Vanilla Bean Glaze:
Whisk all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. If desired, add a bit more milk or cream to adjust the consistency–less liquid will produce a thicker, more icing-like result; more liquid will create a semi-transparent glaze.
Place the wire rack over a rimmed tray or a sheet of parchment. Use a teaspoon to drizzle the glaze over each pastry, then finish with sprinkles or sanding sugar.
Serve immediately. Store leftover hand pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
Notes
You’ll need two discs per pastry. Recipe makes 6-7 hand pies, depending on the size you choose.
I like to use my hands to gently stretch the top discs so they’re just a bit larger than the bottom pieces. This will allow some extra room to accommodate for the jam, and will make it easier to seal the pastry without leakage.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chilling Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 - 25 minutes
- Category: Turnovers and Hand Pies
- Method: Oven + Stovetop
- Cuisine: Sweets
