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Created by Chef Remy
Ripe summer peaches spiced with cinnamon and a whisper of cayenne, tucked into flaky buttermilk pastry and fried to a shatteringly crisp golden brown, then drizzled with Louisiana cane syrup glaze.
Summer in Louisiana means peaches so ripe the juice runs down your chin. My grandmother Evangeline made hand pies every July when the freestone peaches came in from Ruston. She would set up her station on the back porch with a bowl of sliced peaches, a mound of dough, and her big cast iron dutch oven bubbling with oil. By afternoon, we had enough pies to feed half the parish.
The secret to a proper hand pie lives in that dough. You want it tender enough to bite through cleanly but sturdy enough to hold that filling without blowing out in the hot oil. Buttermilk does the work here, keeping things soft while the cold butter creates those flaky layers. At Lagniappe, we add just a pinch of cayenne to the peach filling. Not enough to make it hot, just enough to make you wonder what that little something extra might be. That's the Cajun way: a touch of spice makes everything more interesting.
These pies are meant to be eaten warm, standing in the kitchen with powdered sugar on your shirt. They travel beautifully to picnics and cookouts, and they disappear faster than you can fry them. Make a double batch. Trust me on this one.
Quantity
2 1/2 cups (310g)
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1 cup (2 sticks/226g)
cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Quantity
3/4 cup
Quantity
4 large (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Quantity
1/2 cup
packed
Quantity
2 tablespoons
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
Quantity
1/8 teaspoon
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
2 tablespoons
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
about 3 cups
for frying
Quantity
1 cup
Quantity
2 tablespoons
Quantity
2-3 tablespoons
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| all-purpose flour | 2 1/2 cups (310g) |
| granulated sugar | 1 tablespoon |
| fine sea salt | 1 teaspoon |
| cold unsalted butter (for dough)cut into 1/2-inch cubes | 1 cup (2 sticks/226g) |
| cold buttermilk | 3/4 cup |
| ripe peaches | 4 large (about 1 1/2 pounds) |
| light brown sugarpacked | 1/2 cup |
| Louisiana cane syrup (for filling) | 2 tablespoons |
| unsalted butter (for filling) | 1 tablespoon |
| ground cinnamon | 1 teaspoon |
| freshly grated nutmeg | 1/4 teaspoon |
| cayenne pepper | 1/8 teaspoon |
| fresh lemon juice | 1 tablespoon |
| cornstarch | 2 tablespoons |
| pure vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon |
| vegetable or peanut oilfor frying | about 3 cups |
| powdered sugar | 1 cup |
| Louisiana cane syrup (for glaze) | 2 tablespoons |
| whole milk | 2-3 tablespoons |
Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and work them into the flour using your fingertips or a pastry blender until you have pieces ranging from pea-sized to flat shaggy bits. This uneven texture creates layers. Pour in the cold buttermilk and stir with a fork until the dough just comes together in a shaggy mass. Do not overwork it.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it into a rough rectangle. Fold it in thirds like a business letter, rotate ninety degrees, and roll out again. Repeat this process twice more. You are building flaky layers without making puff pastry. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes or up to two days.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cut a shallow X in the bottom of each peach. Blanch peaches for thirty seconds, then transfer to ice water. The skins will slip right off. Slice the peaches into thin wedges, then cut each wedge into thirds. You should have about three cups of diced peaches.
Melt the tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the peaches, brown sugar, cane syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne. Cook, stirring gently, until the peaches soften and release their juices, about five minutes. The kitchen will smell like summer itself. Mix the cornstarch with the lemon juice and stir into the peaches. Cook until the filling thickens enough to coat a spoon, another two minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and let cool completely.
On a floured surface, roll the chilled dough to about one-eighth inch thick. Cut into five-inch circles using a bowl or large biscuit cutter. Gather scraps gently, press together, chill briefly, and re-roll once. You should get twelve circles. Keep the rounds covered with a damp towel as you work.
Place two generous tablespoons of cooled filling in the center of each dough circle. Fold the dough over to create a half-moon shape. Press edges firmly with your fingers to seal, then crimp with a fork. The fork creates a decorative edge and ensures no filling escapes during frying. Place assembled pies on a parchment-lined sheet and refrigerate for fifteen minutes.
Pour oil into a large dutch oven or deep heavy pot to a depth of two inches. Heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350 degrees. This temperature is critical. Too hot and the crust burns before the inside heats through. Too cool and the pies absorb oil and turn greasy. Maintain this temperature throughout frying.
Working in batches of two or three, carefully lower pies into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Fry until deep golden brown, about two minutes per side. The pies will puff slightly and float. Turn them gently when the bottom is golden. Transfer to a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Let the oil return to 350 degrees between batches.
While the pies cool slightly, whisk together the powdered sugar, cane syrup, and enough milk to make a thick but pourable glaze. You want it to drip slowly from the whisk, not run off like water.
Drizzle the warm pies generously with the cane syrup glaze. Let set for a minute or two, then serve while still warm. The crust should shatter when you bite through, revealing the soft, spiced peaches inside. That contrast is everything.
1 serving (about 145g)
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