Berry Best Fried Pies Food

BLACKBERRY HAND PIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Add the blackberries and granulated sugar to a medium saucepan and heat over medium. Cook the berries, mashing with a potato masher or the back of a spoon, until they start to break down and release their juices, about 2 minutes. Mix together the cornstarch and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add the cornstarch mixture and the lemon zest to the berries and stir until there are no more lumps. Continue to stir until the filling begins to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly.
• Roll one of the pie doughs out on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8-inch thick. Use a 5-inch round cookie cutter, or the rim of a bowl, to cut out as many rounds as you can. Repeat with remaining dough round, gather the dough scraps and reroll as necessary to get 8 rounds.
• Place 1 cube of cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of a dough round. Fold the dough over into a crescent and crimp the edge with a fork. Place on one of the lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining pie dough rounds, cream cheese and filling. Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Brush all the filled pies with the egg wash, sprinkle with the raw sugar and cut small vents into the pies. (If you brush them after venting, the egg will cover the vent!) Bake until the pies are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

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.

BLACKBERRY POT PIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the blackberries and sugar in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water and add it to the pan. Simmer until thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
• Fill the individual cast-iron pans with 3/4 cup filling each and set on a baking sheet lined with foil.
• Take out the Perfect Pie Crust dough and separate into 6 even balls. Roll out the first one until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out a circle from the dough slightly larger than the pan. Place the circle on top of a filled pan and press the edges slightly. Repeat with all the dough and pans. With a pastry brush, lightly wash the top of the pies with the egg wash. With a sharp knife, make small slits in the top of each pie to allow hot air to escape.
• Bake until the crusts are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. (The berries will bubble over slightly; that's normal.) Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.
• Serve each individual pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
• Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and vegetable shortening and work into the flour using a dough cutter until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles. Add the white vinegar, egg and 5 tablespoons cold water and stir until just combined. Place the dough in a plastic bag and chill until needed.

MALIBU BERRY HAND PIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• For the dough: Add the flour, granulated sugar and salt to a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until mealy. Combine the water and vinegar in a liquid measuring cup; slowly drizzle into the flour mixture with the food processor running until the dough begins to become homogeneous-do not overmix. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and press into a disc. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, combine the berries, 1/3 cup sugar, lemon juice and salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to let the berries macerate, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer the macerated berries along with the juices to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, combine the Zinfandel and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk together, breaking up any clumps. Add to the berries and cook until thickened, another 5 minutes or so. Transfer the filling to the medium heatproof bowl; add the lemon zest, butter, almond extract and remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and toss to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool in the fridge.
• For the assembly: Divide the dough into 10 even pieces. Roll each piece into a round 5 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Keep the dough covered with plastic wrap as you work with 1 round at a time. Whisk the egg, salt and 1 tablespoon water. Brush around the edge of a dough round and add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling to one side of the round, leaving 1/2 inch of the dough empty at the edge. Fold the round in half over the filling to create a half-moon shape, crimp the edges with a fork to seal then trim off any excess dough.
• Place all the pies on the prepared baking sheet and brush with more of the egg wash. Sprinkle with sanding sugar if using. Bake pies until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through baking. Transfer the pies to a wire rack to cool.

FRIED APPLE PIES

Steps:

• Make pastry: Sift flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with 2 knives or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, until flour mixture is moistened. Do not add more water than you need: when you squeeze a handful of moistened pastry mixture, it should form a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Make filling: Place apples in a saucepan. Combine sugar and cinnamon; pour over apples and toss to coat. Cook, covered, in a saucepan on low heat until soft; mash with a fork to make thick applesauce. Set aside to cool.
• Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thick; cut out eight 4-inch rounds with a large cookie cutter.
• Place 1 heaping tablespoon of applesauce in the center of each pastry round. Moisten edges with cold water, fold in half, and press the edge with a fork to seal. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling.
• Heat oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Lower pies carefully into the hot oil in batches. Fry until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining pies.

BERRY HAND PIES

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: On a floured surface, roll out each disk of dough into a 10-inch square, each about 1/8-inch thick. Using a 5-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 4 disks from each piece of dough. Transfer disks to a baking sheet (it's OK if they overlap slightly), cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 10 minutes.
• Prepare the berry filling: In a medium bowl, combine the berries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and juice, and sea salt. Stir gently until evenly coated, then set aside.
• Remove the disks from the refrigerator and lightly brush the edges of each disk with the egg wash. Spoon about 1/4 cup berry filling onto each disk, leaving a 1-inch border around the rim. (You might have some extra filling.)
• Working with one disk at a time, leaving one half of the dough on the baking sheet, gently fold the other half of each round of dough over the filling to make a half circle and press the edges together with your fingers to seal. If any of the filling is oozing out of the sides, remove a few berries at a time until the hand pie seals easily. Using a fork, crimp the rounded edge of each hand pie. Repeat with remaining disks.
• Cover the hand pies with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to set the crusts. Refrigerate the remaining egg wash.
• When you are ready to bake, position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove the hand pies from the refrigerator and brush the tops with the remaining egg wash. Using a paring knife, cut 3 small slits in the top of each hand pie to create steam vents. Transfer the hand pies to the lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the hand pies are golden and the filling is bubbly. Let cool for 10 minutes, then serve warm.
• The hand pies can be cooled completely and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.