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Fried Peach Hand Pies

Source of Recipe

From "The Perfect Pie" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"There's a lot of peach pie in the South, and it's not unusual to find it in the form of hand pies. But what's even better than a personal peach pie? A fried one from Alabama. These hand pies have it all: a crust that's delicate and tender yet crumbly wrapped around a thick filling that's purely peach in flavor. Starting with the filling, we cooked peeled, sliced peaches with sugar and a pinch of salt on the stovetop before gently mashing the fruit and letting it thicken. For the crust, we knew we couldn't use traditional pie pastry for frying; instead, we created a soft dough with melted butter and flour. The addition of baking powder and milk helped us achieve the dainty, almost cake-like crumble we wanted. After a quick fry in the hot oil, our pies emerged crisp, golden brown, and supremely satisfying. You can substitute 20 ounces frozen peaches for the fresh peaches; increase the cooking time in step 1 to 15 to 20 minutes. Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more for frying."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 ripe peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch wedges
â—¦ ½ cup sugar
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt, divided
â—¦ 2 teaspoons lemon juice
â—¦ 2 cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 teaspoons baking powder
â—¦ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
â—¦ ½ cup whole milk
â—¦ 2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil for frying


Recipe

Combine peaches, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in medium saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up peaches with spoon, until tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring and mashing frequently with potato masher to coarse purée, until mixture is thickened and measures about 1 â…” cups, 7 to 13 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice and let cool completely.

Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pulse flour, baking powder, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt in food processor until combined, about 3 pulses. Add melted butter and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand, about 8 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add milk and process until no floury bits remain and dough looks pebbly, about 8 seconds.

Turn dough onto lightly floured counter, gather into disk, and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your hands into ball, then press to flatten into round. Place rounds on prepared sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Working with one dough round at a time, roll into 6- to 7-inch circle about â…›-inch thick on floured counter. Place 3 tablespoons filling in center of each circle. Brush edges of dough with water and fold dough over filling to create half-moon shape, lightly pressing out air at seam. Trim any ragged edges and crimp edges with fork to seal. Return pies to prepared sheet, cover with plastic, and refrigerate until ready to fry. (Pies can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)

Line platter with triple layers of paper towels. Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1 ½ inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Gently place 4 pies in hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes, using slotted spatula or spider skimmer to flip halfway through frying. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 375 degrees. Transfer pies to prepared platter. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat with remaining 4 pies. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 8