Fried Apple Pies

I can remember my Grandma Chapman making the best fried pies.I bet yours did too.
They were the best things I had ever eaten.

Eat them while still warm and the crust was a little crispy still, but eat them after a day and that crust turned into something magical.Soft and filling the mouth with pure apple pleasure.Eating them this way was my favorite and still is today.
Today however, I am without the pies from Grandma.I can imagine her now in heaven making all the angels fried pies. Grandma didn't have all her recipes wrote down and since she is unable to share her secrets I had to go by memory and part of Moms recipe.

Grandma ALWAYS used dried apples and that is the trick to making those old fashioned apple pies.These are a rare treat in my family now and I dont even attempt to try these without the dried apples, but if you had to you could.I also remember in Grandmas later years of life her making the pies from canned biscuits when she was no longer able to make the crust from scratch.They are the best with the crust from scratch, but again do it how you like.Good luck and I hope these fried pies bring back a few memories for you too.


Jodies Kitchen Fried Apple Pies
Crust:
2 Cups flour (all purpose)
1/2 Cup lard plus extra for frying pies (could use shortening but lard was used in the old days )
Very cold water enough to make dough
Apple Filling:
1 quart dried apples
water about 3 & 1/2 cups
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 Cup white sugar
1 TBS.brown sugar
Ground cinnamon to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
oil for frying
Crust:In a bowl add flour, cut in the lard until crumbly. Add in just enough cold water to form a dough.Do this in small amounts. Knead just a bit and form a ball with the dough.Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes.
Apple Filling:
Put the dried apples in a pot and cover with the water. Cook about 20 minutes until apples are soft adding more water as needed to prevent burning or sticking..Cook apples until soft and water is cooked out.Add butter and white sugar to apples and cook until butter has melted.Add the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, mix together and remove from heat.(ADJUST SEASONING AT THIS POINT TO YOUR LIKING).
Take 1/2 of the dough and place on a floured surface. Using your hands press it out to round shape then use a rolling pin and roll it very thin. Use a saucer or cookie cutter and cut the dough into rounds, about 6 inches rounds,Put apple filling (about 1&1/2 to 2 TBS ) on the lower half making sure not to add too much. Fold the top half over and with a floured fork press around the edges to seal. Heat 1/2" oil to 300 degrees in a large cast iron skillet Place a few in the oil and fry until nice and golden on one side, flip and do the same with the other. Remove and drain off fat.You will get about 8 to 10 pies depending on the size of your rounds.Good luck and it may take you a few times to get the just like Grandma but keep trying.