Fried Fruit Hand Pies Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Separate the biscuits. Dust a work surface with flour and roll each biscuit round into a 6-inch circle (about 1/16 inch thickness). Place 2 teaspoons cream cheese and 2 teaspoons jam on one side of the dough round. Brush the outer edge of the pastry round with egg wash. Fold one side over the filling and crimp the edges with the tines of a fork. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Brush the entire pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cut a slit in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape as they bake. Repeat the process with the remaining biscuits. Bake until golden brown, about 16 minutes. Serve warm.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the food processor bowl. Pulse a time or two to blend. Add the vanilla, sour cream and milk. Pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter, shortening and sugar and egg, and process until the mixture is thoroughly blended and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and form a ball.
• Divide the mixture into 12 equal portion and form into balls.
• Refrigerate for about an hour until they're well chilled.
• Preheat oven to 375, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Flour the work surface and rolling pin. Place a ball of chilled dough on the floured surface. Roll each ball of chilled dough into a 5" diameter circle, using additional flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin.
• Spread 1 1/2 tbsp filling on one half of the circle, leaving a 1/2" uncovered space around the edge of the dough. Moisten the 1/2" space all around the edge of the dough with water.
• Fold the circle of dough in half, over the filling, and crimp the edges with a fork. Prick the pies a few time with the fork tines, to allow the steam to escape while they're baking.
• Place the pies on the parchment on the baking sheet, and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes, or until they're light brown.
• Place the pies on a cooling rack until room temperature. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together fruit, sugar, orange zest and juice, salt, and cornstarch; mix until well combined. Set fruit mixture aside.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one piece of dough to a 16-by-11-inch rectangle. Trim to 15-by-10 inches. Cut into six 5-inch squares. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour. Working with one square at a time, place 2 tablespoons of reserved fruit mixture in the center. Brush two connecting edges with beaten egg and fold on the diagonal over the filling, pressing to seal. Repeat process with remaining squares.
• Repeat entire process with remaining pate brisee. Place hand pies on prepared baking sheet. Brush pies with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Using a pair of clean scissors, snip the center of one side of each hand pie to allow steam to escape.
• Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake until crusts are golden brown and filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 8-10 times. , Divide dough into four portions; roll each into an 8-in. circle. Place 1/4 cup of pie filling in the center of each circle. Fold dough over filling; secure with toothpicks. , In an electric skillet or deep fat-fryer, heat 1 in. of oil to 375°. Fry pies, folded side down, in oil for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn and fry 2-3 minutes longer. Drain on paper towels. Remove toothpicks. Serve with syrup and whipped topping.