Un-fried Fried Pies

A few weeks ago, I was browsing the blogs and saw a tutorial for hand pies.  It got me thinking about my Grandmother and her fried pies; she would make them once in awhile as a treat.  I called her a few years ago to ask her how to make them, and then never made them.  After seeing the hand pies, I couldn't get my mind off fried pies.  I had to make some.

If you don’t know what a fried pie is, it’s basically just a little hand held pastry with reconstituted dried fruit in it.  I’ve tried making these with fresh fruit before, but fresh fruit is just too juicy and they leak all over the place.  Using dried fruit is traditional, and obviously a better choice for something you’re supposed to eat without a fork.

So here’s my method for making non-leaking un-fried pies.

First make the filling:

1 6oz package of dried fruit, such as apricots, apples, or peaches, or a 6 oz. combo of whatever you like.
2 Cups of water
1 cup sugar
¼ cup butter
Lemon juice
Cinnamon

In a sauce pan, put your water and fruit on and bring to a boil.

Cut the heat and simmer until the fruit is tender and a lot of the water has cooked off (about 20 minutes)
Add the sugar, butter, and a tablespoon or so of lemon juice. Sprinkle in some cinnamon to taste.
Remove from the heat, and mash it all up with a potato masher.
Let it sit for a bit in the fridge to thicken while you make the crust.

Now make the crust:

2/3 cup of butter, cold and cut into small pieces
2 cups flour
Sugar
Cinnamon
Ice water

In your food processor, put the butter and flour, a couple tablespoons of sugar, and a sprinkle or two of cinnamon.  Pulse 10 times or so until the mixture is the texture of cornmeal.  If you don’t have a food processor, you can do this in a bowl with a pastry cutter.

Add ice water a little at a time, only pulsing once or twice to incorporate it.  When a dough forms, remove the dough from the food processor and place it on a floured surface.
Turn the dough in on itself 2-3 times to make sure everything’s incorporated but no more than that!  If you over-handle this dough it will be tough!

Now divide the dough into 10 little balls of equal size.
Roll each ball into a circle that’s about 5 inches around.

Put 2-3 tablespoons of filling in the center and fold the circle in half.  

Dip your finger in water and wet the edge to help seal it, and fold the edge up all the way around.  Pinch it closed to ensure the filling stays inside, and to make it look fancy.

Put the pies on a parchment covered baking sheet and brush with an egg wash (1 egg + 2 Tbsp Water, whisked).  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or so, until they are golden and delicious.

If you’re a purist and want to fry these, just skip the baking step.

How to Fry your Fried Pies:

In a deep skillet or pot, heat ½ inch of oil.  Heat it on medium for about 5 minutes.  You want the oil to be HOT but not smoking.  But it needs to be hot in order to fry the pies correctly.  If it’s not hot enough, the dough will just soak up the oil, and your pies will be really greasy and chewy.

Fry each pie for a couple of minutes on each side.  Remove and drain on a paper towel.

Enjoy this treat!  Let me know how yours come out!