Picnic Pies

(adapted from Bernard Clayton’s Complete Book of Pastry)
Flaky Crust (makes enough dough for approx. ten to twelve 6” pastries)

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
12 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
5 Tablespoons cold non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
4-5 Tablespoons ice cold water

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter and shortening, mixing just until you have moist crumbs. Turn this mixture into a large bowl. Add the cold water one tablespoon at a time, using your hands to gently combine the water with the crumbs. Do not overmix- the dough should just barely hold together. Turn the dough onto plastic wrap, divide in half, wrap each disc in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling out.

Using one disc of dough at a time, remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on parchment paper to no more than 1/8” thick. Cut out 6” squares and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the other disc, chill pastry while you prepare your filling.  Preheat your oven to 400.

Fresh Peach filling

2 lbs. of peaches, peeled, halved, pitted and sliced into thick wedges
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Bourbon Vanilla extract
½ teaspoon orange zest

1 egg combined with 1 Tablespoon heavy cream for egg wash
additional sugar for sprinkling

In a large bowl, place sliced peaches. Combine cornstarch, cinnamon, brown sugar, extract and orange zest. Whisk once or twice to combine. (Once the peaches combine with the sugar mixture, they will release quite a bit of juice.) 
Gently toss the sugar mixture over the peaches, turning to coat. Place about 3 Tablespoons of filling in the center of each pastry square. Working quickly, brush the edges of the squares with the eggwash and seal the edges of the pastry with a fork or your fingers. Use the tines of a fork to poke a few holes in each pastry to let the steam escape. Brush the folded pastries with egg wash, sprinkle with additional sugar and refrigerate on parchment lined baking sheets for 10 minutes before baking. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes until golden.

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