Ripe Okanagan peaches make the filling for these individual hand pies, based on a contemporary local chef’s recipe. Cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch help the fruit hold together inside a rich butter pastry made with egg, vinegar and ginger ale. The cooked fruit is drained so its juice can be reduced to a light syrup for serving.
Ripe Okanagan peaches make the filling for these individual hand pies, based on a contemporary local chef’s recipe. Cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch help the fruit hold together inside a rich butter pastry made with egg, vinegar and ginger ale. The cooked fruit is drained so its juice can be reduced to a light syrup for serving.
Step 1Keep the egg, butter and ginger ale refrigerated until needed. Wash your hands and keep raw flour and dough away from ready-to-eat foods; do not taste uncooked dough.
Step 2Put the flour in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
Step 3In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, vinegar and ginger ale. Pour the liquid into the flour mixture a little at a time, mixing just until a dough forms.
Step 4Divide the dough into two portions, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Keep it cold while you prepare the fruit.
Step 5Peel, pit and slice the peaches evenly. Sift the cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch together, then toss the mixture with the fruit.
Step 6Cook the peaches in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring gently until the fruit softens and the juices thicken. Lower the heat if the filling starts to stick.
Step 7Set a sieve over a bowl. Strain the cooked peaches, reserving all the juice. Spread the fruit in a shallow dish and let it cool before filling the pastry.
Step 8Pour the reserved juice into a small saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat until syrupy, watching closely so it does not scorch. Cool the syrup.
Step 9Heat the oven to 190°C. Line baking sheets with parchment. Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about 6 mm thick and cut twelve squares about 15 cm wide, re-rolling scraps as needed.
Step 10Place a spoonful of cooled peaches in the centre of each square without overfilling. Bring the corners toward the middle and pinch the seams closed. Transfer the pies to the prepared sheets with space between them.
Step 11Bake for about 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is fully cooked and evenly golden. If the centre seams still look pale or doughy, bake a few minutes longer and check again.
Step 12Cool the pies on a rack, then drizzle with the peach syrup. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours in a covered shallow container, use within 2–3 days and reheat to 74°C if serving warm. Discard perishable food left out over two hours at room temperature or one hour outdoors in hot weather.
A scale gives the pastry the most consistent texture; cup weights can vary with how flour is scooped. Work with one portion of dough at a time and keep the other chilled. The peach filling and syrup both need to cool before assembly, or the butter in the pastry can soften and leak. Pinch every seam firmly, but do not stretch the dough thin over the fruit. Bake until the pastry looks dry and golden rather than relying on the short timing in the original hand-pie recipe.
Approximate estimate per pie, based on one twelfth of the recipe with 625 g flour, 454 g unsalted butter, one large egg, 907 g peaches, 32 g cornstarch, measured spices, vinegar and regular ginger ale. Ingredient values use USDA FoodData Central references; ginger ale is estimated from a typical product label. Flour cup weight, peach ripeness and beverage brands vary. This is an ingredient estimate, not laboratory analysis.
Contains wheat (gluten), milk (butter) and egg. Check the ginger ale label for additional ingredients or cross-contact statements. Raw flour may carry harmful bacteria: do not taste raw dough or filling, keep raw dough and its utensils separate from ready-to-eat foods, wash hands after handling flour and clean bowls, tools and surfaces with hot soapy water. Keep egg and butter refrigerated until use and bake the pastry until fully cooked. Cool cooked filling promptly. Refrigerate baked leftovers within two hours in a covered shallow container, use within 2–3 days and reheat to 74°C if serving warm. Discard perishable food left at room temperature for over two hours or outdoors in hot weather for over one hour.
Thaw them completely and drain well before weighing. Frozen fruit can release more liquid, so cook the filling until thick and cool it fully before shaping the pies.
