Fried Mini Fruit Pies Food

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.

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.

TINY FRIED APPLE PIES

Steps:

• 1. Place filling ingredients in a large bowl and toss until well combined. Cut chilled dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll into equal rectangles about 1/4 inch thick. Onto one of the rectangles, place spoonfuls of filling (about 2 tablespoons each) in rows 1/2 inch apart. Place pies in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
• 2. To make the egg wash, whisk together egg and heavy cream. Using a pastry brush, carefully brush egg wash onto dough between the rows of filling. Gently lay the second dough rectangle over top and press around each mound of filling. Cut 3-by-1-inch rectangles with a pizza cutter and press the back of a fork along the edges to seal.
• 3. Preheat oil to 375°F. Carefully begin frying pies, a few at a time, for 7 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Drain pies on paper towels and allow to cool.
• 4. Stir together the icing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle icing over pies and serve.

BUTTERMILK DOUGH FOR FRIED FRUIT PIES

Steps:

• Pulse flour, lard, sugar, and salt in a food processor until you have flour-covered pea-sized pieces, about 15 quick pulses. Add buttermilk all at once and process until the wet dough almost comes together.
• Generously flour work surface and scrape dough out onto it. Turn dough over to coat. Gather and fold dough over on itself a couple of times, then pat into a soft 4x6-inch block.
• Crisscross 2 long pieces of plastic wrap to form an X and lightly dust with flour. Place dough in the center and wrap tightly. Smooth wrapped surface with rolling pin; flip and repeat. Chill at least 4 hours or preferably overnight, or slip into a zip-top plastic freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

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.

MINI FRIED APPLE PIES

Steps:

• Combine flour, crisco and milk and mix well.
• (I like to do this is a food processor).
• Roll into balls the size of a walnut.
• Flatten each with a rolling pin.
• Peel and dice apples.
• Cook apples, butter, spices and brown sugar together until tender.
• Cool slightly.
• Place one tablespoon of apple mixture in the center of each flattened ball of dough.
• Fold over and press edges with a fork.
• Fry in oil that has been preheated to 350° until golden brown on each side.
• Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

FRIED FRUIT PIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt, cut in shortening till you get coarse crumbles.
• Mix water with egg, stir in slightly.
• Mix in Vinegar till all combined.
• Form ball, wrap and chill 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Seperate into 12 balls then flatten and fill with the filling of your choice. Don't forget to seal the edges and crimp so the good stuff won't come out!

GRANDS LITTLE FRUIT PIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.
• With pastry blender or fork cut in butter or margarine until mixture coarse crumbs.
• Separate dough into 8 pieces; split each biscuit in half.
• With floured fingers, flatten each biscuit to form 4" round.
• Press each biscuit in ungresed 2-3/4 x 4 x 1-/4" muffin cup.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons pie filling into each biscuit-lined cup.
• Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons flour mixture (cups will be full).
• Bake for 15-22 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool 5 minutes.
• Remove from muffin cups; place on wire rack, cool for 10 minutes.
• In a small bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
• Top each serving with dollop of whiiping cream; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
• Store in refrigerator.

DRIED AND FRIED FRUIT PIES

Steps:

• In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the apricots with the water. Simmer over low heat until the fruit is plump and soft and most of the water has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. Add more water if needed.
• Drain the apricots and chop them. Mix the apricots in a small bowl with the jam or preserves, and the nuts or bread crumbs. Refrigerate the filling, if you wish, for as long as 24 hours.
• Roll the pie dough out 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Cut it into rounds with the top of a coffee can or with a large round biscuit or cookie cutter. Spread equal portions of filling on each round, moisten the dough edges lightly, and fold the rounds over into half moon shapes. Crimp the edges with a fork.
• In a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, heat at least 4 inches of shortening to 350°F Fry the pies in batches, turning them over midway through the cooking, after they rise to the surface. Remove them when they are golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Drain them, and sprinkle them with sugar. Let them cool for at least 5 minutes before eating. Makes 8 pies.
• Variations: The pies can be baked rather than fried. Place them on a greased baking sheet, brush them with a little beaten egg (1 egg is enough for this batch of pies), sprinkle them with sugar, and bake them at 375°F for about 20 minutes, or until they are lightly browned.
• Experiment with other dried fruit or jam fillings. Try dried peaches simmered in peach nectar with a touch of jalapeno jam, or dried apples with cider, a splash of applejack, and cinnamon.
• FOR THE PIE CRUST: Using a food processor, a bowl with a pastry blender, or your fingers, cut the lard, butter and vegetable shortening into the flour and salt. Whatever method you choose, be careful not to overwork the dough, which would reduce flakiness. Add the water a few tablespoons at a time, until the dough just holds together. Divide the dough into two mounds, wrap them in plastic, and refrigerate them at least 30 minutes (or wrap one mound for the freezer, if you don't plan to use it in the next couple of days).
• If the pie crust is to be baked, preheat the oven to 400°F
• On a floured board or pastry cloth, roll out the dough in a circle a couple of inches larger than the pie pan. To avoid stretching the dough excessively, roll it from the center outwards, lifting the rolling pin after each stroke rather than rolling back over the dough in the opposite direction. Loosen the dough, drape it around the rolling pin, and center the crust over the pan, dropping it gently into place.
• If you're making a one crust pie, crimp the edges decoratively. If your pie is to have two crusts, roll out the second mound of dough, too.
• For a single pre-baked crust, prick the dough in several spots. Cover the pie shell with foil, and weight the foil with dried beans or pie weights. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, and then lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or follow the directions in your pie recipe.
• One cowboy commented that a chuck wagon cook "is a sort of human that was kicked in the head by a brindle cow or a cross-grained mule when very young...They're temperamental as wimmin too; an' like the bosses, don't need no sleep neither." -Quoted in Ramon Adams, Come and Get It.
• Texas Home Cooking.

OVEN FRIED APPLE PIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F Spray 2 cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray. In small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
• Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Press or roll each to form 5-inch round. Place on sprayed cookie sheets.
• Place 2 tablespoons pie filling slightly off center on each biscuit round on one cookie sheet. Fold biscuits over filling; press edges with fork to seal. Prick top of each 3 times with fork. Brush each with melted butter; sprinkle with sugar mixture.
• Bake at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until deep golden brown. (Some filling may bubble out at edges.) Repeat with biscuit rounds on second cookie sheet. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

MINI APRICOT PIES

Steps:

• Combine first 5 ingredients in a small sauce pan.
• Stir and simmer for 5 minutes under low heat.
• Take off heat and set aside.
• Cut puff pasry sheet into six squares.
• Roll each square into a 6 inch square.
• Spoon mixture into each square, fold and seal.
• Mix milk and sugar in a bowl and brush on each pie.
• Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown at 400 degrees.

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.