Cheryl Day is an expert Southern baker, so it’s no wonder that her take on classic peach hand pies are pretty much perfect. Tender, buttery pastry encases gently spiced fresh peaches bathed in a bourbon-kissed syrup. To create flaky edges, the sure sign of great pie crust pastry, Cheryl trims the crimped pies with a pastry wheel, a handy tool that you’ll find online and in kitchenware stores.
Makes 8 hand pies
Remove the pie crust dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling it out. Line two baking sheets with parchment. On a floured surface, roll out each disk of dough into a 10-inch square, about 1/4 inch thick. Cut each one into 4 equal squares for a total of 8 squares. Transfer 4 squares to each of the prepared baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing the filling.
Place the peaches, brown sugar, flour, bourbon, lemon juice, lemon zest, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt into a medium mixing bowl and toss to combine.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and lightly brush the edges of each square with the egg wash. Divide the filling among the squares, using a scant 1/4 cup for each, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Gently fold each square of dough over to make a triangle and press the edges with your fingers to seal; make sure the filling does not ooze out the sides. Crimp the edges of each hand pie with your fingers or a fork. Trim the edges of the hand pie with a pastry wheel to create a flaky edge.
Lightly brush the tops of the pies with the egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Cut 3 small slits (about 1/2-inch-long) for steam vents in the top of each pie. To set the crust, chill the pies, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Position racks in the middle and lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bake the hand pies until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans and switching their positions halfway through.
Serve warm or at room temperature. These are best eaten the day they are made.
©Copyright 2024 Cheryl Day
Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Place the water and vinegar in a small mixing bowl.
Add the pieces of butter to the flour mixture and toss to coat. Work the butter into the flour using a pastry cutter or fork. You should have various-sized pieces of butter ranging from coarse sandy patches to flat shaggy pieces to pea-sized chunks, with some larger bits as well. Drizzle in about half of the ice water mixture and stir lightly with a fork until the flour is evenly moistened and the dough starts to come together. If the dough seems dry, add a little more ice water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. The dough will still look a bit shaggy at this point. If you grab a small piece of dough and press it lightly with your hand, it should mostly hold together.
Dump the dough out onto an unfloored work surface and gather it together into a tight mound. Using the heel of your hand, smear the dough a little at a time, pushing it away from you and working your way down the mass of dough to create flat layers of flour and butter. Then gather the dough back together with a bench scraper, layering the clumps of dough on top of one another. Repeat the process once or twice more; the dough should still have some big pieces of butter visible.
Cut the dough in half. Shape each piece into a disk and flatten it. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight, to rest.
The dough can be stored, well-wrapped, for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 1 month in the freezer. Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight.
©Copyright 2024 Cheryl Day
Sheri reunites with best-selling cookbook author Cheryl Day to bake Cheryl’s peach hand pies.
Cheryl Day is a celebrated heritage baker, New York Times-bestselling author and two-time James Beard Award nominee. A dynamic entrepreneur and on-air personality, Cheryl has appeared on shows like Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television, My Family Recipe and Netflix’s High on the Hog. Her book "Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking" won the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Award and was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2022. Cheryl and her husband, Griff, co-founded Savannah’s iconic Back in the Day Bakery, delighting patrons for 22 years. She co-founded Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice, raising over $3.3M in grants to support Black-owned restaurants. Cheryl’s philosophy, “slow down and enjoy the sweet life,” is reflected in her work and life in Savannah, Georgia, where she lives with Griff and their dog, Story.
Sheri Castle, award-winning food writer and cooking teacher, is known for melding culinary expertise, storytelling and humor, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal. Her creative, well-crafted recipes and practical advice inspire people to cook with confidence and enthusiasm. She's written a tall stack of cookbooks and her work appears in dozens of magazines. In 2019, the Southern Foodways Alliance named Sheri among Twenty Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.
Sheri says that she's fueled by great ingredients and the endless pursuit of intriguing stories, usually about the role that food plays in our lives, families, communities and culture.
When she steps away from the kitchen or a local farm, Sheri enjoys spending quiet time at her home near Chapel Hill. She hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
In each episode of "The Key Ingredient," renowned food writer and cooking teacher Sheri Castle celebrates beloved ingredients, tracing their journeys from source to kitchen. Sheri introduces us to farmers, chefs and other food experts, sharing stories, recipes and tips along the way. Join Sheri & friends to learn the stories behind some of North Carolina's most beloved ingredients.