One Handed Fried Pies Food

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.

FRIED APPLE HAND PIES

Steps:

• For the pie dough: Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the shortening and butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add in the ice water and vinegar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the mixture just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and press into a large disc. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• For the filling: Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and then saute the apples, stirring, until just starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar and stir. Add the cinnamon, salt, ginger and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until some of the apples start to break apart (but most are still whole), about 4 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat. Set aside to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Fill a deep pot halfway with oil and heat to 365 degrees F. Roll the dough out 1/8-inch thick on a lightly-floured surface. Cut out eighteen 4 1/2-inch-diameter circles, gathering and re-rolling the dough if necessary. Beat the egg in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of water. Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of the apple filling into the center of each dough round. Brush the edge with some egg mixture and fold the dough over to make a half-moon shape. Press out the air and seal the edges with a fork. Repeat with the remaining filling and dough.
• Place 4 to 6 pies at a time into the hot oil and cook until golden brown, flipping as needed, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Cook's Note: The pies can be frozen for up to 6 months before frying. Frozen pies will take about 8 minutes to fry. You can also refrigerate the pies for up to 2 hours before frying.

EASY FRIED PIES

Steps:

• Place dried fruit in a pot and add water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer until fruit is tender. Add other ingredients and mash together with a potato masher or fork. Set aside while dough is prepared.
• Roll each biscuit out on a floured surface into a five or six inch circle. Place two tablespoons of filling in each. Wet the edges and fold over, crimping with a fork.
• Cook in oil which has been heated on medium heat, until browned on both sides, turning as needed. Remove to paper towel lined plate.

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.

ONE-HANDED FRIED PIES

Steps:

• For the Filling:.
• In a saucepan, combine dried fruit and the apple cider. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 20 to 25 minutes or until fruit is tender (Cider should be cooked down). Mash slightly. Cool.
• For the Pastry:.
• Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt,and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in the 1/2 cup shortening until pieces are pea-sized.
• Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of the buttermilk or buttermilk mixture over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side. Repeat, using 1 Tbsp of the buttermilk at a time, until all the dough is moistened. If pastry seems dry, add a little water, 1 Tbsp at a time. (Do not overhandle). Form dough into a ball.
• Pat or lightly roll dough into a 15 inch circle. Using a 4 inch round cutter, cut the dough into 12 circles, rerolling dough as needed. Place about 1 Tbsp fruit on half of each circle. Moisten edges of circles with water. Fold over into half-moon shapes. seal edges with tines of a fork.
• In a 12 inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 Tbsp of the shortening over medium low heat. fry half of the pies for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Drain on papaer towels. (Add remaining shortening; fry remaining pies) serve warm.
• MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cool pies completely and wrap securely in foil. Place foil-wrapped pies in a tightly sealed plastic bag. freeze pies for up to 3 weeks. reheat frozen pies, wrapped in foil, in a 350 degree F. oven about 25 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
• CHOCOLATE FRIED PIES: Omit fruit filling. Prepare pastry as directed. For chocolate filling, in a small bowl combine 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar and 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Stir in 4 Tbsp melted butter. Spread a scant 2 tsp of mixture onto each pastry circle. Fry pies as directed.

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 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.

FRIED FRUIT HAND PIES

Steps:

• For the dough: Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Cut in shortening until well combined using a fork or pastry cutter. Whisk egg and milk together and mix until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate one hour or until you are ready to make the pies.
• You may substitute pre-made filling or use this one: Combine apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt in a bowl and toss together. Add water and cornstarch to a pan and whisk together. Add apples and mix together. Place over medium- high heat. Cook, stirring often about 10 minutes. Pour into a bowl and set aside to cool.
• When you are ready to make the pies, divide the dough into 12 - 3ounce (approx.) balls. Roll dough out over a well floured surface. Add additional flour to the top of the dough if needed to make it easy to roll.
• Use a 4 - 5 inch circle (a small saucer or large cookie cutter) to cut pastry into circles.
• Add about 1 tablespoon of apple filling to the center of each circle. Fold over and pinch seams closed. Fold edges over and press edges with a fork. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• Heat about 3 cups of oil in a deep skillet to 375 degrees. Cook 2 or 3 pies at a time, turning to brown both sides. Remove from oil to a paper towel lined rack to drain.
• Whisk powdered sugar and milk together until smooth in a medium sized bowl. Dip fried pies into icing and drain on a wire rack placed in a baking pan until icing is set, about 10 -15 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Pies are best the first day. Leftovers can be be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature for serving or warm in microwave for a few seconds.