Peach Hand Pies

Ingredients:

  • 1 package store-bought refrigerated pie crust (2-count)

  • 16-ounce (1 lb) bag frozen sliced peaches

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • pinch of salt

  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water

  • vanilla bean ice cream, for serving- optional

For the hand pie assembly:

  • 1 large egg, mixed with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Position the oven rack into the center of the oven. Then line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, foil, or a silpat liner and set the baking sheet aside.

  • Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator and rest on the counter to come up to room temperature while you prepare the peach filling.

  • In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, add in the frozen peaches. Toss the peaches together, every so often, until they begin to release their juices, about 5-6 minutes. 

  • Add in the butter and continue cooking/stirring until the butter has melted through, about 2-3 minutes. Then sprinkle in the brown sugar, vanilla bean paste/extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, lemon juice, and salt. Stir the peach mixture together to fully combine and continue cooking, stirring often, until the peaches are soft and tender, about 10-15 minutes.

  • Use a potato masher (or similar vessel) to gently mash the sliced peaches into a finer consistency. Careful not to over-mash, just enough to break down any remaining large chunks of peaches.

  • The peach filling mixture should be very juicy. Add in the cornstarch slurry and stir together to combine with the filling- let stand for another 1-2 minutes over the heat. Then remove the saucepan from heat to cool down, the peach filling should be thickened at this point.

  • On a lightly floured surface or on top of a piece of parchment paper, roll out the pie crust. If needed, smooth out the crusts with a rolling pin. Then use a 3.5-inch round cutter to cut out circles. You should be able to cut out about 8-10 circles per sheet of pie crust dough- scraps can be collected and then re-rolled to make more.

  • Place the first round of dough circles onto the prepared baking sheet. Use a knife to cut a slit(s) into the center of the second round of circles (these will be used for the top pieces), then set aside.

  • Gather a tablespoon of the cool filling and place on top of each circle of pie crust. Brush the outer border of each one with a bit of the egg wash. Then place the top, slit pieces of pie crust directly on top. Carefully press/stretch the top pieces snuggly on to sandwich the hand pies together. Then use a fork to crimp the edges and brush the entire top surface with the egg wash.

  • Repeat the process until all the hand pies have been assembled with the peach filling and brushed with the egg wash.

  • In a small bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and cinnamon together. Evenly sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the tops of each hand pie, be as generous or light with it as you’d like.

  • Bake the hand pies for 12-15 minutes. Let the hand pies cool down for about 5 minutes. Then serve the peach hand pies immediately- with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Enjoy!