Aunt Helens Fried Peach Pies Food

FRIED PEACH PIE

Steps:

• To prepare the pie dough, beat together the butter, sugar, and salt for 3 minutes on medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the egg and beat for 30 seconds. Add the flour and water and beat for 15 seconds. Turn off the machine, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat again for 10 seconds. Sccop up the dough with your hands and form it into a 1-inch thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a medium-sized saute pan. Saute the peaches and sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the jam or preserves, cayenne, and white pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 16 by 11-inch rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 6 5 1/4-inch circles. (For a more free-form shape, divide the dough into six pieces and roll out.) Place the circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Fill the lower half of each circle with about 1/4 cup of the cooked peaches. Fold the top half of the dough over the filling and crimp the edges securely with a fork. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before frying.
• Heat 2 1/2 inches of vegetable oil to 350 degrees in a heavy 4-quart saucepan. Fry pies 2 or 3 at a time until golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven until all the pies are fried. Serve immediately with ice cream.

AUNT HELENS PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except pie crust in a large bowl.
• Pour into pie crust.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minute.
• Lower heat to 350 and bake for 40-45 minute more.

JULIA CHILD'S AUNT HELEN'S FLUFFY PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Separate eggs and set aside.
• Using a mixer, blender or large bowl, blend pumpkin, the 2 cups of the sugars, 1 teaspoon salt, molasses, bourbon or rum (if using), cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, egg yolks, cream and milk until smooth. Add more milk, a tablespoon at a time, if the mixture is stiff: it should be a soft purée.
• In a clean bowl, whip egg whites until foaming. Whip in a pinch of salt, then gradually whip in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until shiny white peaks form. Beat 1/4 of the whites thoroughly into pumpkin mixture; gently fold in the rest.
• Immediately ladle filling into the shells, filling to just below the rim of the pan. Place in oven and bake just until rim of crust begins to turn gold, 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake another 25 to 30 minutes, until a tester inserted into the filling 2 inches from the rim comes out clean. (The center should still be a bit wet; it will cook more as it cools.) If the rim of the crust starts to get too brown, cover it with aluminum foil.
• Immediately turn oven off, leave door ajar (stick in a wooden spoon to hold it open if necessary) and let sit 20 to 30 minutes more as the oven cools; this will prevent the filling from turning watery. Serve warm, or let cool, wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let pie come to room temperature before serving.

AUNT BEA'S PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Whisk each egg one at a time. Mix remaining ingredients.
• Bake 350 for 50 t0 60 minutes.