Peach Empanadas with Bourbon Preserves
Fold bourbon-spiked peach preserves into tender pastry pockets and bake them into empanadas — grown-up hand pies with a Southern soul, perfect for a party or a porch.
These peach empanadas take the humble hand pie somewhere a little more grown-up, with bourbon-spiked peach preserves tucked into tender pastry pockets. The bourbon deepens the peach flavor and lends a warm, boozy note that makes these feel like an adult treat — Southern in spirit, elegant enough for a party. Baked rather than fried, they are the kind of hand-held dessert that feels both homey and special, made for sharing on a porch or passing at a gathering.
The Bourbon Peach Preserves
Cook the peaches down with bourbon into a thick, jammy preserve rich with warm flavor. The bourbon deepens the fruit and adds a grown-up complexity, cooked down until the filling is thick enough to hold inside the pastry — a properly reduced preserve is the key to a clean, jammy empanada.
Filling, Sealing, and Baking
Spoon the preserves into rounds of tender pastry, crimp the edges well, and bake them until golden. A good seal keeps the filling tucked inside, and baking gives them a tender, flaky pastry with a burnished top — brush them with a little glaze for a beautiful, bakery-worthy finish.
Peach Empanadas with Bourbon Preserves
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Peel the peaches using the "blanch and shock" method: place in boiling water for 2 minutes, then transfer immediately to ice water.
- Reserve the peels and pits in a large bowl.
- Chop the peach flesh into uniform half-inch chunks.
- Stir ½ cup granulated sugar into the bowl with the pits and peels and let sit for 20 minutes to extract the natural juices.
- Place the diced peaches, 1 cup sugar, vanilla bean, bourbon, and salt into a deep pot.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer for approximately 60 minutes, using a potato masher halfway through to break down the fruit until the consistency is syrupy and reduced.
- Cool the preserves completely before assembly.
- Strain the reserved juice from the peach peels and pits into a bowl (approx. ½ cup).
- Whisk this juice into the confectioners' sugar in batches.
- Continue whisking until you achieve a thick, glossy, and pourable glaze.
- Roll out the pie dough on a floured surface and cut 3 or 4-inch circles using a round cookie cutter.
- Place a teaspoon of cooled preserves in the center of each circle.
- Brush the egg wash around the edge, fold in half, and seal tightly with the tines of a fork.
- Refrigerate the pies until ready to fry to stabilize the dough.
- Heat vegetable oil to 375°F in a deep pot.
- Gently drop the pies into the oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until golden-brown and crystalline.
- Drain on a wire rack and drizzle with the warm peach glaze immediately.
The Heart of the Table
Hand-held pastries are generous and easy to share — no plates or forks, just a warm, jammy treat pressed into a waiting hand. There is a warm, grown-up hospitality in these bourbon-kissed empanadas, the kind of Southern-hearted treat that makes a porch gathering or a party feel relaxed and abundant.
The Art of the Host
Seal the edges well so the preserves stay inside, and brush the tops with egg wash or glaze for a golden finish. They are lovely warm or at room temperature, so they hold well for a party — a dusting of sugar makes them extra inviting.
Neighborly Grace
- The Preparation: Make the bourbon peach preserves ahead, and even fill and shape the empanadas in advance, then bake them fresh. They keep well for a day, making them a practical, make-ahead treat for entertaining.
- The Pour: A bourbon on the rocks doubles down on the filling for the grown-ups; for a non-alcoholic pairing, a peach iced tea echoes the fruit without the spirits.
- The Vibe: Serve them warm or at room temperature at a party, a porch gathering, or a Southern-inspired supper. These are grown-up hand pies — jammy and bourbon-kissed, made for easy, hand-held sharing among good company.