epicurious4.5
Fried Apple Pies
This recipe for homemade fried apple pies comes from the legendary Edna Lewis. One taste of Lewis’s hand pies and you’ll forget all about fast-food imitations.
👥 12 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 1h 15m🔥 Cook: 1h 15m👤 Edna Lewis📖 epicurious
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●bowl
- ●blender
- ●whisk
- ●saucepan
- ●baking sheet
- ●pot
- ●dutch oven
- ●oven
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Whisk 2½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, and ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl to combine. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work 3 Tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½" cubes, and 3 Tbsp. chilled vegetable shortening, cut into ½" pieces, into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk 1 large egg with ¼ cup ice water in a small bowl, then drizzle over flour mixture; stir gently with a fork to incorporate. Dough should hold together when squeezed. Stir in up to 1 Tbsp. more ice water if needed.
½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for surface2. baking powder1 tsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½" cubes3 Tbsp. chilled vegetable shortening, cut into ½" pieces3 Tbsplarge egg1
2
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, gather together, and knead a few times just until smooth (do not overwork). Divide in half and form into disks. Cover in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least ⏱️ 1 hour.
3
Bring 4½ oz. unsulfured dried apples (about 2 cups), 2 cups unfiltered apple cider, 2 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. (packed) light brown sugar, 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1½ cups water to a brisk simmer in a medium saucepan; season with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and mashing apples with a potato masher as they soften, until a thick purée forms, 20–⏱️ 25 minutes. Let filling cool.
½ oz. unsulfured dried apples (about 2 cups)4unfiltered apple cider2 cups. finely grated lemon zest1 tsp½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for surface2
4
Divide 1 disk of dough into 6 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 6"-diameter round. Place 2 heaping Tbsp. of apple pie filling in center of round (you may have some filling left over at the end). Brush edges of dough with water, then fold up and over filling to form a half-moon shape, pressing out any air around filling. Crimp edges firmly with a fork to seal. Transfer to a parchment-paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and chill while you repeat with remaining dough disk and filling.
5
Fit a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot with thermometer and pour in vegetable oil to come 2" up sides. Warm oil over medium heat until thermometer registers 360°–370°. Working in batches of 3 or 4 and returning oil to 360°–370° between batches, fry pies, turning occasionally, until pie crusts are deep golden brown, 7–⏱️ 9 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a large rimmed baking sheet to drain.
Vegetable oil (for frying; about 11 cups)
6
Just before serving, dust warm pies with powdered sugar. Do Ahead: Apple pie filling can be made 3 days ahead; cool to room temperature, store in an airtight container, and refrigerate. Dough can be made 3 days ahead; keep chilled. Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in the January 2008 issue ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for more of our favorite apple desserts →
Powdered sugar (for dusting)
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