Peach and Cream Cheese Hand Pies

By GratefulSea

To make the pies ahead, assemble completely but don’t brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Freeze the pies on the cookie sheets until solid then place in a freezer plastic bag. Freeze for several weeks. Before baking, just brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. No need to defrost, bake from frozen state an additional minute or two.

Ingredients

• CRUST
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 2 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 to 8 tablespoons ice water
• FILLING
• 4 oz cream cheese (from 8-oz package), softened
• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups diced fresh peaches
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 to 4 tablespoons packed brown sugar (depending on sweetness of fruit)
• EGG WASH
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• GARNISH
• Additional granulated sugar

Preparation

Step 1

In medium bowl, combine cold butter, flour, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar and the salt; toss to coat butter. Using fingers or pastry blender, pinch butter into flour until coarse crumbs form. Begin adding ice water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing with fork or spoon just until dough comes together when pinched between fingers.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface; knead a few times just to bring dough together. Divide dough in half; shape into 2 flattened disks. Wrap each disk well in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 3 tablespoons brown sugar and the egg yolk with whisk or electric mixer until well combined. In another medium bowl, toss peaches, cornstarch and 2 to 4 tablespoons brown sugar to taste. Set Filling aside while rolling and cutting dough.

Heat oven to 400°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with silicone nonstick baking mat or cooking parchment paper; set aside. In small bowl, beat egg and milk with whisk for egg wash; set aside.

Roll out dough, 1 disk at a time, to 1/4- to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 3-inch round cutter or upside-down drinking glass, cut out rounds of dough (about 16 per disk). Repeat with remaining dough disk. Place half of the dough rounds on the 2 cookie sheets, leaving room between each (8 per sheet).

Divide cream cheese mixture evenly among rounds. Divide peach mixture evenly among each cream cheese-topped dough round. Lightly brush edge of each dough round with egg wash. Top each with second dough round to cover filling. (This may take some rearranging of peach chunks but don’t stress, just call them “rustic”.) With fork, seal edge of each pie; poke a few holes in top of each to allow steam to escape and prevent pie from exploding during baking. Brush tops of pies with egg wash; sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake in center of oven, 1 sheet at a time, 20 to 25 minutes or until bottoms of pies are golden brown and sugared tops are slightly crackled and beginning to turn golden. Remove from oven; cool at least 10 minutes before serving.