Mamas Fried Pies Recipes

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.

FRIED APPLE PIES

Steps:

• Cover dried apples with water and cook on top of the stove over medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes until water is almost all absorbed by the apples. Add the white sugar, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Continue cooking another five to 10 minutes while stirring and mashing the apples until they look like pie filling. Remove and set aside to cool.
• Cut shortening into flour until looks like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in salt. Add water a little at a time until you can form a dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut dough into circles about 7 inches across. (I use a plastic bowl)
• Your circles can be smaller if you want. I just like a good sized fried pie. Fill each circle with about 2 tablespoons of the apples. Moisten the edges of the circle with some water on your fingers. Fold over and seal. Use a fork to crimp the edges of the pies together.
• Oil - Enough to be about 1/2 inch deep in your skillet (I use Canola oil)
• It is easier for me to use two slotted spatulas to lower the pies into the oil. You can use whatever works for you. Fry pies until a golden brown on each side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

FRIED PIES

Steps:

• To make the pastry, mix together the flour, granulated sugar and salt. Cut in 1 cup of the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1 of the eggs and the buttermilk and stir until it just comes together. Add a little more buttermilk if needed. Form it into a ball and refrigerate for at least an hour.
• To make the pies, roll the pastry out into a large square. Trim the edges to make a rectangle. Cut into 8 to 10 long rectangles, using a butter knife.
• Spoon a tablespoon or so of filling into the top half of one of the rectangles.
• Use the remaining beaten eggs to seal the edges by folding the bottom half of the rectangle over the top. Then crimp the edges shut with a fork. Repeat with the other pies, filling half with apple pie filling and half with cherry pie filling.
• Heat shortening in a medium, deep saucepan over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F. Fry the pies until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove and immediately drain on paper towels.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.