BOURBON-PEACH HAND PIES

Bourbon-Peach Hand Pies image

In New York, where I live, peaches mean summer, and the perfect specimens usually come from the farmer's market. But what's a peach-lover to do year-round? There is a solution: frozen peaches! The best ones have been picked at their peak and peeled, sliced and flash-frozen to seal in all that glorious peach flavor.

Provided by Samantha Seneviratne

Categories dessert

Time 2h50m

Yield 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring the work surface
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4 tablespoons ice water, plus a bit more if needed
2 cups diced peaches, fresh or frozen
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 to 3 tablespoons bourbon
1 large egg
Pinch kosher salt
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Steps:

For the pastry: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, granulated sugar and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some bigger pieces of butter. Add the ice water and pulse just until the crumbs begin to come together. Add a little more water if necessary but try not to add too much. Turn the mixture out onto a big sheet of plastic wrap, form it into a disc, wrap it and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to an even 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out 16 to 20 circles. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and chill while you make the filling.
For the filling: In a small saucepan, combine the peaches, granulated sugar and cornstarch. Bring to a boil over medium heat, mashing the peaches with a fork, and cook until the mixture has thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the bourbon to taste. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and salt. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment, lay out half of the dough discs. Dollop 1 to 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of each disc. Brush around the edges of the pastry with some of the egg mixture. Top with another dough disc, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Brush the tops with the egg mixture and sprinkle with coarse sugar. With a paring knife, make a little slit in each pie to vent steam.
Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pies to a rack to cool or serve warm.