The Best Crispy & Easy Old-Fashioned Fried Apple Pies
A from-scratch recipe for classic fried apple hand pies. The dessert features a homemade, flaky pie dough made with a combination of butter and shortening. The filling is made by cooking down chunks of Braeburn and Granny Smith apples with sugar and warm spices until tender. Circles of the chilled dough are filled with the cooled apple mixture, sealed into half-moon shapes, and then deep-fried until golden brown and crisp. They can be served warm or at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes (includes chilling and cooling)
- Yield: 18 hand pies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Deep-Frying
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- For the Pie Dough:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup shortening, chilled and cut into pieces
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) cold butter, diced
- 4 to 8 tablespoons ice water
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- For the Filling:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Braeburn apples (about 1 pound)
- 2 Granny Smith apples (about 1 pound)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch of ground ginger
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Oil, for frying
- 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Make the Pie Dough: In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the shortening and butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the ice water and vinegar, pulsing until the mixture just comes together.
- Press the dough into a large disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Make the Filling: While the dough chills, melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the peeled, cored, and chunked apples and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until just starting to soften.
- Sprinkle with the sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring, for about 4 more minutes until some apples start to break down. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat. Let the filling cool completely for about 30 minutes.
- Assemble and Fry the Pies: Heat about 2 inches of oil in a deep pot to 365°F.
- Roll the chilled dough out to 1/8-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut out eighteen 4 1/2-inch circles.
- Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of the cooled apple filling onto the center of each dough round.
- Brush the edge of the dough with the egg wash, fold it over to make a half-moon shape, and press the edges with a fork to seal.
- Working in batches of 4 to 6, carefully place the hand pies into the hot oil. Fry for about 5 minutes, flipping as needed, until golden brown.
- Transfer the fried pies to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Cook’s Note: The uncooked, assembled pies can be frozen for up to 6 months before frying (they will take about 8 minutes to fry from frozen). They can also be refrigerated for up to 2 hours before frying.
- Using a combination of butter and shortening in the crust creates a dough that is both flavorful and very flaky.
- It is important to let the apple filling cool completely before assembling the pies to prevent the dough from becoming soggy.
- Frying in batches is crucial to maintain the oil temperature for a crispy, non-greasy result.
Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/fashioned-fried-apple-pies/