Fried Pies Recipes

FRIED APPLE PIES

Steps:

• Sift flour and salt together. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix with fork. When the flour mixture is moistened, gather it into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Peel and dice the apples and place them in a saucepan. Combine the sugar and cinnamon; pour over the apples and toss to coat. Cook, covered, in a saucepan on low heat. Cook until soft, then mash with fork to form a thick applesauce. Allow to cool.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thick and cut rounds with a large cookie cutter (4 inches in diameter).
• In each round, place 1 heaping tablespoon fruit. Moisten edges with cold water, fold in half, and press edge with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Fry the pies, a few at a time, 2 to 3 minutes on each side; cook until the crust is golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

MAMA'S FRIED PIES

Steps:

• Cook fruit in water until tender. Drain and mix with sugar and margarine. Mash well. Refrigerate overnight if possible. Roll out homemade piecrust dough and cut into saucer-sized circles.
• Spoon fruit onto circles and fold over into crescent shapes, then close the edges completely with a fork. Fry until golden brown. Place fried pies on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• Variations: For baked pies, place crescents on a lightly-greased baking sheet in a 400 degree oven until golden brown.
• For apple pies, use dried apples and add apple pie spice (or nutmeg and cinnamon) and vanilla to taste.
• For prune pies, use dry, pitted prunes and add vanilla to taste.
• Place the flour and a dash of salt in a mixing bowl. Add the shortening and cut it in with a pastry blender or use your hands, as I do. Add the water, a teaspoon at a time, kneading until the dough is smooth.

EDNA'S FRY PIES

Steps:

• To make pies, combine in large bowl the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until pieces are the size of small peas. Add water, a little at a time, until the flour mixture is moistened. Form into 4 balls. , Divide each ball into 10 pieces and roll each piece into a circle. Top one side of circle with filling and fold circle in half. Crimp edges to seal. , Heat shortening; fry a few pies at a time in deep fat until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. , Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine glaze ingredients until smooth. While pies are still warm, dip them into glaze. Allow pies to drip on wire racks until cool.

FRIED PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine egg and water, and sprinkle lightly over flour mixture. Add vinegar, and lightly stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape into a ball.
• Wrap dough in wax paper. Chill for at least one hour. Use as directed in any fried pie recipe.

FRIED FRUIT PIES

Steps:

• Mix together the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender, fork, your hands, or whatever method works best for you, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Stir together the beaten egg with the water and sprinkle over flour mixture. Sprinkle in the vinegar, mixing lightly, until ingredients are well combined.
• Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
• In a nonreactive pan on very low heat, simmer the dried fruit in the water for 30 to 45 minutes, or until very tender. Add water if necessary to prevent scorching. Allow to cool; mash fruit slightly.
• Stir in the sugar and spices. This step of the preparation may be done in advance and refrigerated; however, warm up the fruit (microwave is fine) enough to take the chill off and make it workable before filling your pies.
• Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and cut it into four equal pieces. You can then cut each of the four pieces into three equal pieces, leaving you with 12 golf-ball-size dough balls.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 5- to 6-inch circle. Your circles don't have to be perfect, and ragged edges are okay.
• Put about 2 generous tablespoons of filling onto one side of the circle of dough. Seal the pie by wetting the inside edge of the dough with water (use your finger) and then fold over the dough, making the familiar half-moon shaped pie. Make sure the edges of the dough are even, and press and crimp to insure a good seal. You can use a fork to give you a bit of a decorative edge if you like. You can also correct the more ragged edges during this step because the dough is pliable. Just make sure the filling is sealed in and that any holes in the dough are crimped.
• Using a deep fryer set at 350, carefully lower the pies into the oil, one at a time. Cook until they turn a nice even golden brown in 3 or 4 minutes. You don't have to worry about cooking the filling -- it's already cooked. The frying process is merely cooking the dough.
• Drain on paper towels.

APRICOT FRIED PIES

Steps:

• Place apricots in a medium saucepan; add water to cover.
• Cover pan and cook over low heat 15 minutes or until tender.
• Mash appricots, and add sugar; set aside.
• Combine flour and salt; cut in shortening with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Sprinkle cold water (1 Tablespoon at a time) evenly over surface; stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened.
• Shape into a ball and chill.
• Divide dough in half.
• Roll one portion to 1/8" thickness on a lightly foured surface; cut into 3 1/2-inch circles.
• Spoon aout 1 teaspoon apricot filling on half of each pastry circle, moisten edges and fry.