Fried Apple Pies

This fried apple pie recipe from legendary chef Edna Lewis yields crispy fruit-filled turnovers you’ll want to make again and again. Long popular in the mountains of the American South, apple hand pies can be found at church picnics, crossroads country stores, and, if you are incredibly blessed, a close relative’s cast-iron skillet. A cross between pie dough and biscuit dough, the pastry can be made using fingertips, a pastry blender, or food processor.

While you might think you know the best apples for pie, this recipe throws a curveball. It calls for dried apples rather than fresh fruit, which you’ll rehydrate in apple cider for a robust, fruity pie filling. You can use sliced or diced dried apples, as long as you measure by weight—they’ll be mashed into a thick cinnamon-spiced purée. Dried peaches are a popular swap if you’d like to change it up, but don’t be tempted to swap in applesauce, which is too wet and would sog out the crust. (If you want to take a shortcut, store-bought apple butter makes a worthy stand-in.) Spoon tablespoons of the filling onto rounds of dough, fold them into fat half-moons, and use a fork to crimp the edges of the dough to seal. Fry in hot oil until golden brown, then drain on paper towels or a wire rack. 

Fried apple pies need no gilding, but if you’re inclined, dust the warm pies with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar, glaze them with a simple powdered sugar icing made with lemon juice, or live your very best life and serve with a scoop of ice cream.