Peach Hand Pie Recipe
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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?
While I’ll begrudgingly make do with canned or frozen peaches during the dead of winter, they pale in comparison to fresh, ripe, locally-grown summer peaches.. Sure, fresh peaches are finicky (an under or overripe peach is always such a disappointment…) but when everything goes just right? There really is nothing better.
I enjoy using fresh peaches in all kinds of seasonal recipes, from sweet desserts like poached peaches and vanilla peach granita to savories like this grilled peach and goat cheese pizza. Toss them in a salad, slice and scatter over cereal, or pair with mascarpone cheese and puff pastry for a rustic homemade breakfast Danish. My love for fresh peaches knows no limit.
This hand pie recipe draws inspiration from another baking classic: the peach pie. I’ve made both the peach jam and the flaky shortcrust pastry from scratch, capturing all of the flavors of a slice of peach pie, but with a lot less effort.
Ingredients for Making Peach Hand Pies
To make these peach and ginger hand pies, you’ll need:
- Flour – All purpose flour (plain flour in the UK) forms the base for the shortcrust dough.
- Granulated Sugar – You’ll need a teaspoon of granulated sugar for the dough, plus more to make the peach jam.
- Kosher Salt – A small amount of kosher salt strengthens the gluten and balances the sweetness of the dough.
- Butter – Start with cold, cubed, unsalted butter.
- Egg – You’ll need one egg for the dough, and another to egg-wash the pastries before baking.
- Vanilla Bean Paste – Vanilla bean paste adds a vanilla-y note to the pastry and jam. I recommend a good-quality vanilla bean paste from a brand like Nielsen-Massey, or the scrapings of one vanilla pod.
- Peaches – Choose fresh, ripe, juicy peaches.
- Ginger – A teaspoon of finely minced fresh ginger adds a spicy note to the jam. Do not use ground ginger.
- Milk – You’ll need a small amount of milk, cream, half-and-half, or plant milk to adjust the fluidity of the glaze.
- Confectioner’s Sugar – Confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar) makes the sweet orange-vanilla glaze.
- Orange Zest – The zest of one orange gives the glaze a bright, citrus-y flavor. You can replace it with a different citrus fruit, such as lemon, or omit for a straightforward vanilla bean glaze.
- Food Coloring – I added the tiniest touch of orange gel food coloring to my glaze. You can omit the food coloring, or increase the amount for a brighter, more eye-catching shade.
How to Make Peach Hand Pies
Peach Hand Pie Recipe Tips and Tricks
Don’t overfill the pies. Divide the peach jam equally between the twelve pies. Don’t add more jam, and don’t spread it too close to the edge, or 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!
Adjust the ginger. 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 ginger. I don’t recommend using ground ginger.
Keep the dough cold. If, as you’re rolling and cutting, the dough starts to feel sticky, pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up. Cold dough prevents the butter from melting before baking, for the tenderest, flakiest crust.
Glaze over a wire rack. For easy cleanup, arrange the baked and cooled hand pies on a wire rack. Line a tray with parchment, wax paper, or plastic wrap, then sit the rack over the tray to catch any drips of glaze.
Recipe Shortcuts
Store-bought pastry. I prefer to make this peach hand pie recipe using my own homemade shortcrust pastry, but for a quick shortcut you can start with a store-bought sheet of shortcrust pastry or a pre-made pie crust instead.
Jarred jam. If you don’t have time to make the jam from scratch, use a high-quality jarred jam, such as Bonne Maman.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
You can make the shortcrust pastry up to 48 hours in advance. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Peach jam can also be made up to 48 hours in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.
Peach hand pies are best enjoyed on the day they are made. Wrap leftover pies in foil or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
To freeze: Layer between sheets of parchment and freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature. If freezing, I suggest skipping the glaze. Add the glaze after thawing, or serve the pies plain.
More hand pie recipes you might enjoy:
Peach and Blueberry Hand Pies
Nutella-Stuffed Wreaths
Mixed Berry Breakfast Pastries
Classic Blueberry Hand Pies
Lemon Curd Hand Pies
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!
Print
Peach Hand Pies
- Total TimeAbout 2 1/2 hours
- Yield12 4-inch round pastries 1x
A peach hand pie recipe featuring homemade peach jam and shortcrust pastry, and drizzled with a sweet orange-vanilla bean glaze.
Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry:
384 grams all purpose flour (3 cups)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
210 grams unsalted butter, cold and cubed (7 1/2 ounces; 14 tablespoons)
2 large eggs
30 milliliters ice water (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Peach and Ginger Jam:
4 ripe peaches, peeled and diced (500 grams; 17 2/3 ounces; about 2 1/2 cups diced peaches)
160 grams granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
8 grams finely minced fresh ginger (about 1 tablespoon), or to taste
Orange-Vanilla Glaze:
90 grams confectioner’s sugar (2/3 cup), sifted
1 tablespoon whole milk or whipping cream
Zest of 1 orange, zested on a Microplane
1 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, whisk all purpose flour, granulated sugar, and kosher salt. Add the cold cubed butter. With your hands, work it into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse sand, or breadcrumbs.
In a small bowl, whisk eggs, water, and vanilla bean paste. Form a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture.
With a bench scraper, mix until just combined. Use your hands to finish bringing ingredients together until a soft dough forms. Do not overwork.
Flatten dough into a 7-inch disc. Wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Peach and Ginger Jam:
In a small saucepan, combine diced peaches, granulated sugar, and ginger.
Simmer over medium heat until fruit breaks down and jam thickens, about 3o minutes.
Remove from heat, scoop into a bowl, and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Assembly:
Preheat oven to 375° F (190° C). Line 2 half-sheet rimmed baking trays with parchment or silicone mats.
On a silicone rolling mat or lightly floured countertop, roll shortcrust pastry to approximately 1/8-inch thickness. With a 4-inch round cutter, cut the pastry into discs. Re-chill and re-roll scraps to cut additional discs. You should have 24 total.
Place 6 discs on each prepared tray. Spoon peach jam, dividing it equally between the 12 discs.
With a pastry brush, apply a thin strip of egg wash around the outer edge of each disc. Top with a second disc of shortcrust pastry.
With your fingers, press down gently around the outside edge to seal. Crimp sealed edges with a fork.
With a pastry brush, egg wash the top of each pastry.
With a sharp paring knife, cut a small, x-shaped vent in the top of each pastry.
Freeze trays for 10 minutes.
Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, rotating trays halfway through, or until deeply golden brown with fruit bubbling at the vent and around the edges.
Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely while you prepare the glaze.
Orange-Vanilla Glaze:
In a small bowl, whisk confectioner’s sugar, whole milk, orange zest, and vanilla bean paste.*
Whisk in orange gel food coloring, if using.
Sit wire rack over a rimmed tray lined with wax paper or parchment. With a teaspoon, drizzle glaze over pastries. Allow to sit at room temperature for a few minutes while the glaze sets. Serve immediately.
Store leftover hand pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
*If desired, add milk or confectioner’s sugar to adjust the consistency. Less liquid will produce a thicker, more icing-like result; more liquid will create a fluid, semi-transparent glaze.
As written, this recipe makes approximately twelve 4-inch round peach hand pies. Recipe can be halved or doubled.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Chilling Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Turnovers and Hand Pies
- Method: Oven + Stovetop
