Peach Turnover: Recipe Makeover

Buttery, flaky pockets of deep-fried fruit are a guaranteed success at any picnic. No utensils needed for these peach-packed, lard-laden mini pies (charmingly known as "hand pies" in the South)—just a hearty napkin to wipe the grease and gooey filling off your cheeks. With nearly 730 calories and 19 grams of saturated fat each, we just had to rescue these treats. We'll show you how we did it.

Classic
• 730 calories per pie
• 45 grams total fat
• 19 grams saturated fat

Makeover
• 312 calories per pie
• 9.4 grams total fat
• 5.7 grams saturated fat

We decrease the fat in the dough by nearly half, saving 202 calories and 12 grams of sat fat per pie.

No need to deep-fry. Oven-bake on a preheated baking sheet to save 107 calories and 2 grams of sat fat per pie.

This little trick adds moisture to the dough without the need for added fat. The alcohol bakes off in the oven.

Pulse in vodka, which moistens the dough and limits gluten formation to keep the crust tender. Be careful not to overmix.

Roll the dough into thin, 5-inch circles for perfectly portioned treats. Refrigerate for 2 hours to make pie assembly easier.

Vent the filled pies to allow steam to escape during baking, preventing that fiber-rich filling from overflowing.