These half-moon fried peach hand pies boast a buttery, golden brown flaky shell and a sweet, jammy peach filling—both of which are made from scratch. Remember to crimp the sides so every corner is fully sealed to prevent them from bursting open while frying.
These pastries were developed by novelist Andrew Sean Greer, and are inspired by the recipe his grandmother, Louise Thomason, used to make—but never documented—during the holidays when he was a kid. Read more about their significance in his essay.
What you’ll need
Deep-Fry Thermometer
$29 $16 At Amazon
Cast Iron Skillet
$30 At Amazon
Cookie & Biscuit Cutter Set
$13 At Amazon
French Rolling Pin
$21 At Amazon
Set of 6 Pastry Rulers
$20 At Kitchen Jukebox
Tongs
$21 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 12
Ingredients
Filling
1
⅓
1
1
½
Dough and Assembly
2
1
2½
½
2
Special Equipment
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Filling
Step 1
Cook 1 lb. peaches (about 4), peeled, cut into ¼" pieces, or 1 lb. frozen, slightly thawed peaches cut into ¼" pieces, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally with a heatproof rubber spatula, until peaches are softened, juices are thickened, and mixture resembles a chunky jam, 45–60 minutes. Let cool.
Do ahead: Filling can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.
Dough and Assembly
Step 2
While the peaches are cooking, whisk 2 tsp. granulated sugar, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 2½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour in a large bowl until combined. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work in ½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1" pieces, until largest pieces are pea-size. (Alternatively, pulse together dry ingredients in a food processor, then pulse in butter.) Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar over and mix with your hands to combine. Drizzle ¼ cup plus 3 Tbsp. ice water over and mix by hand until dough just comes together in a shaggy mass.
Step 3
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. Divide in half and pat into disks; wrap each in plastic. Chill at least 15 minutes.
Step 4
Working one disk at a time, unwrap dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface to ⅛" thick. Using a 5"-diameter cutter or bowl, punch out as many rounds as you can, transferring to a baking sheet as you go. Gather dough scraps, reroll, and punch out more rounds. (You should get 12 or 13 in all.)
Step 5
Working with 1 round at a time, spoon a heaping tablespoonful of filling onto 1 side. Brush edges with water, then fold empty side of dough up and over filling and bring edges together to create a half-moon shape. Crimp edges firmly with a fork to seal. Arrange pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
Step 6
Fit a large heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, with thermometer and pour in vegetable oil to come ½" up sides. Heat over medium-high until thermometer registers 340°.
Step 7
Working in 3 or 4 batches, keeping remaining pies chilled until ready to fry, and adding more oil between batches if needed, fry pies, turning every 2 minutes with tongs and adjusting heat as needed to maintain oil temperature, until golden brown and crisp, 13–15 minutes; if you see any pies beginning to burst open toward the end of cooking, immediately remove from oil. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Step 8
Just before serving, transfer pies to a platter and dust with powdered sugar.
Do ahead: Dough can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.