Golden Peach Hand Pies

There's no shortage of ways to enjoy Summer peaches. Fresh and unadulterated, with the juice dripping down your arm. Halved and grilled and served alongside a juicy roast chicken. Sliced and wrapped prosciutto and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. All perfect. All delicious.

But this might be one of my favorites. Peaches diced and cooked down to a delightful jam brightened - both in hue and flavor - by my Toasted Coconut Turmeric Blend and then wrapped in flaky puff pastry, these little hand pies are basically a handful of Summer. Make a batch today and enjoy one any time you need a little sunshine.

Golden Peach Hand Pies

Makes 8 large triangles or 12-14 small half moons

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pound ripe but firm yellow peaches

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• Finely grated zest from 1 medium lemon (about 1 teaspoon)

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 ½ teaspoons Toasted Coconut Turmeric Blend, divided

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1 tablespoon water

• 2 (9½ by 9-inch) sheets puff pastry, thawed

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Directions:

Using a paring knife, cut a small "X" in the bottom of the peaches. Drop peaches into a pot of boiling water and leave for about 60 seconds. Transfer to an ice bath to cool. Use the paring knife to pull the skins from the peaches and then dice flesh into small (1/4-inch) dice. You should have about 4 cups of diced fruit.

Cook diced peaches, granulated sugar, lemon zest, salt, and 1 teaspoon Toasted Coconut Turmeric Blend in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until peaches begin to break down, about 10 minutes.

Whisk cornstarch and water together in a small bowl, then stir into fruit mixture. Cook mixture over medium-low until it has thickened to a jam-like consistency. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pull one sheet of puff pastry from the fridge and roll it into 10-inch square. For large triangle hand pies, cut the pastry into four 5-inch squares, and place 2 tablespoons peach filling in the center of each square. For smaller, cookie-sized pies, use a 3-inch round biscuit cutter to cut rounds and place 1 tablespoon peach filling in the center of each round. Repeat with second sheet of puff pastry.

Brush the edges of each dough with some egg wash, then fold dough over filling to form a triangle or half moon, depending on which size/shape you've decided upon. Using a fork, crimp edges of dough to seal. Mix together turbinado sugar and remaining ½ teaspoon Toasted Coconut Turmeric Blend in a small bowl. Brush tops of pies with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with sugar mixture.

Transfer pies to prepared sheet and cut three small slits through the top. Freeze pies until firm, around 15-20 minutes. At this point, you can transfer frozen pies to an airtight container and keep them frozen for up to a month.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Pull as many (or as few!) pies from the freezer as you'd like to bake and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until well browned, about 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer pies to wire rack and let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature. These pies are best within a couple of hours of baking, as that's when they're the crispiest, but they still taste amazing the next day.

* This recipe was adapted from a Blueberry Hand Pie recipe from America's Test Kitchen.