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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 are we smack dab in the middle of National Peach Month, but August 22nd is Eat a Peach Day, and August 24th has also 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?)
Sublime Summer Peaches
While canned and frozen peaches always seem to underwhelm, fresh summer peaches are one of my favorite summer fruits. Sure they’re a bit finicky (an underripe or overripe peach is always such a disappointment!) but peaches are so sweet and juicy and delicious when everything goes just right.
Peaches find their way into countless summer recipes, from peach ice cream and peach cobbler to peach jams and jellies. They’re also delicious in summer salads, and downright fantastic on pizza. (Might sound weird if you haven’t tried it, but I swear peaches and pizza are a perfect combination. If you don’t believe me, just give this grilled peach and goat cheese pizza a try.)
For this recipe, I’ve drawn inspiration from another classic recipe (the peach pie) and given it a simple-but-delicious twist.
Featuring homemade peach and ginger jam, flaky handmade shortcrust pastry, and a generous amount of (orange-tinted!) vanilla bean glaze, these adorable peach and ginger hand pies are easy to make and hard to resist.
What could be better on these last, laziest days of August?
Shortcuts and Make-Ahead Suggestions
I prefer to make my hand pies with homemade pastry. However, for a quick shortcut you can just as easily make prepare recipe using a store-bought shortcrust or pie crust instead.
If you don’t have time to make the jam, you can use jarred peach jam (try to find a high-quality one, such as Bonne Maman) for an even faster bake.
Peach Hand Pie Tips and Tricks
This recipe will make approximately six 4-inch / 10-centimeter round hand pies. If desired, you can cut your 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!
When placing the tops on your pies, I like to use my hands to gently stretch the 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 your pies will become difficult to seal properly. They’ll also leak in the oven. (Don’t worry if your jam does leak a little bit, though. A “rustic” look is totally appropriate for these pies!)
If planning to freeze your hand pies, I suggest skipping the glaze. If desired, you can glaze the pies after thawing, just prior to serving your pastries. They’re also delicious plain.
Substitutions
I’ve topped my hand pies with a simple peach-tinted vanilla bean glaze and decorated them with sprinkles and orange sanding sugar. If desired, you can replace the vanilla in the glaze with another flavoring, such as peach flavor or orange oil.
You can 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. And if you don’t like ginger, feel free to omit it altogether.
Checking for Thread Stage
When preparing your homemade peach jam, you want to make sure that “thread stage” has been reached. You can do this by using a candy thermometer, or with a simple manual test.
To test manually, spoon a small amount of the mixture onto a plate and allow it to cool slightly. Place the jam between your thumb and forefinger and 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 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!
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Peach and Ginger Hand Pies
- Total Time: 1.5 hours
- Yield: 6-7 10 cm round pastries 1x
Description
Featuring peach jam wrapped in flaky pastry and drizzled with vanilla glaze, these hand pies are perfect for the last lazy days of summer.
Ingredients
Pastry:
200 grams all purpose flour (1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
105 grams unsalted butter, cold and cubed (7 tablespoons)
1 egg
1 tablespoon ice water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Peach and Ginger Jam:
4–5 ripe peaches, peeled and diced
165 grams granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
1/2 – 1 teaspoon 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 egg, lightly beaten
Orange sanding sugar, sprinkles, or white nonpareils, for decoration (optional)
Instructions
Pastry:
In a large bowl, sieve the 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 gently until a soft dough forms.
Flatten dough into a disc, wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap, and transfer to the refrigerator to chill 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 broken down, mixture has thickened, and temperature reaches 106° C / 225° F on a digital thermometer. Alternately, you can do a manual test to see if jam stage has been reached (see notes above). Remove from heat and transfer jam to the fridge to cool while rolling your pastry.
Assembly:
Preheat oven to 190° C / 375° F. Line a baking tray with parchment or a silicone mat.
Remove your disc of chilled pastry from the refrigerator. On a baking mat or lightly floured countertop, use a rolling pin to roll pastry to approximately 3 millimeters / 1/8-inch thickness.
Use a large (10 centimeter) round cutter to cut your pastry into discs. Re-roll the scraps and cut into additional discs.
Transfer half of the discs to prepared baking tray. Spoon a small amount of peach jam into the middle of each rectangle, allowing a wide border of pastry on all sides. (It will be tempting to add extra jam, but try to stick with just a teaspoonful. Overfilled pastries will be difficult to seal and will leak in the oven!)
Lightly egg wash the borders, then top each pastry with a second rectangle.*** Use your fingers to gently press down around all edges, sealing the jam inside the pastry.
Egg wash the tops of the pastries. Dip a fork in the egg wash, and use it to crimp the edges.
Use a sharp knife to cut a small vent in the top of each pastry, or prick the tops with a fork.
Transfer tray of pastries to the freezer and freeze for 10 minutes prior to baking.
Bake pastries in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until pastry is flaky and golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Bean Glaze:
While pastries cool, prepare the vanilla bean glaze by whisking all ingredients together 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.
When pastries are completely cool, place wire rack over a rimmed tray or a sheet of parchment. Use a teaspoon to drizzle the glaze over each pastry, then top with sprinkles or sanding sugar.
Hand pies are best enjoyed within two days. Unglazed pies will also freeze well.
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
