Peach and Ginger Hand Pies

Summer is flying by...I feel like I blinked once and already we are half way through the dog days of summer. I have been enjoying almost every minute of the deliciously long days. I could go without the 106 degree plus humidity days, but for those special 80 degree sunny, breezy days I wouldn't miss it for the world. I have been indulging in my local farmer's market and basking in the loot I bring home each weekend. This week I had some prized peaches, golden cherry tomatoes, large red heirloom tomatoes, the freshest mozzarella balls you've ever seen and yummilicious green beans. So, I had to make some pretty special recipes to highlight these pretty special ingredients. And I must admit I don't think I disappointed, although I am the only judge so take it with a grain of salt (no pun intended).

I started the week off right, with this open faced caprese sandwich. Fork and knife definitely required before diving in. 

Next up, with my peaches being at their peak ripeness I decided to make some little hand pies. Of course, I had way more filling then I needed so I accompanied them with a mid-sized rustic galette. I used my ever handy Mark Bittman, "How To Cook Everything", as a guide but didn't follow the recipe exactly. And no I didn't make the crust from scratch. Sometimes, you just have to use pre-made. I didn't have any biscuit cutters on hand, which would have been ideal for cutting the dough, so instead I used the top of a clean, empty 15 oz. can. It worked perfect, proving you don't always need the fancy tools to get the job done right. 

Peach and Ginger Hand Pies/Galette

4 ripe medium peaches, peeled and sliced

1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

1/3 cup sugar (more if peaches aren't sweet)

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1 Tbsp. butter, cut into small cubes and divided

1 egg whisked, for egg wash

2 pre-made pie crusts (I used Pillsbury)

For Hand Pies-- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine peaches, ginger, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Roll out one pie crust until thin, using can to make small circles. Place small circles on lined baking sheet, put a small amount of peaches in the middle so there is still room around the edges. Place one small cube of butter with the peach mixture, top with a second circle, sealing off the edges by pinching together. Create two small lines as vents, then brush with egg wash. Continue until you have made six small pies. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until crust is just turning golden brown. 

For Galette-- Roll out second pie crust, and place remainder of filling and dot with the rest of the butter. Use egg wash to brush the sides of the crust. Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is slightly bubbling. 

These pies came out delectable and they are the perfect individual portion size. Just enough to satisfy that ever present sweet tooth. The ginger adds for a nice depth of flavor that is enhanced by the cinnamon and nutmeg. These definitely aren't your average peach pies. I hope you give them a try, because I don't think you'll want to miss out on this. I hope you all are having as great as summer as I am. Keep cool, until next time ;)