Recipe: Fried Pies and Pocket Pies

Multiple Recipes for Fried Pies

FRIED PIES #1

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 cups fruit filling (see recipes)
Vegetable oil
Sugar (optional) for sprinkling on top

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry cutter (or mix gently with fingers) until crumbly.

Combine egg and water, stirring with a fork; drizzle over flour mixture. Add vinegar and stir with a fork just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Divide pastry into thirds; roll each portion to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface, and cut each into 5-inch circles.

Spoon 2 1/2 tablespoons of fruit filling onto half of each pastry circle. Moisten edges with water; fold dough over fruit filling, pressing edges to seal. Crimp edges with a fork dipped in flour.

Pour oil to depth of 1/2-inch into a large heavy skillet. Fry pies in hot oil over medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Drain well on paper towels. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.

Yield: about 1 dozen.

ORANGE-PINEAPPLE FRIED PIE FILLING
Yield: 2/3 cup

2/3 cup chopped dried pineapple
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan; let stand 1 hour. Bring pineapple mixture to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat, and cook, stirring often, 15 minutes or until pineapple is tender and liquid has evaporated. Remove fruit from heat; add sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla; stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool.

DRIED CHERRY FRIED PIE FILLING
Yield: 1 3/4 cups (this recipe will fill 11 pies)

2 packages (3-ounce each) dried Bing cherries, chopped
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup chopped almonds (optional)

Combine cherries and water in a medium saucepan; let stand 30 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 20 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat; add sugar and remaining ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool.

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POCKET PIES
Source: Alton Brown, Food TV recipes

PASTRY:
9 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 2 cups
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2-1/2 ounces shortening, approximately 6 tablespoons
3/4 cup milk
1 egg mixed with 1 to 2 teaspoons water
Vegetable, canola oil or butter, for frying.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Pulse for a few seconds and then pour into a large mixing bowl.

Add the shortening and knead it into the flour with your hands until it is crumbly. Add the milk all at once and mix in with a spatula until it begins to come together. Lightly flour your hands and the countertop and turn the dough out onto the countertop. Knead the dough ball, folding over 10 to 20 times.

Using a rolling pin roll the dough to 1/3 to 1/2-inch thickness, then cut into rounds using a 2 1/4-inch ring. Roll each round as thinly as possible or to 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling onto the dough, brush the edges of half of the dough lightly with the egg wash, fold over and seal the edges together with the tines of a fork, dipping it into flour as needed. Gently press down to flatten and evenly distribute the filling and snip or cut 3 slits in the top of the pie. If you are going to deep fry the pies dock* them instead of snipping or cutting slits.

*Am unfamiliar with this term,

To pan-fry pies, place a medium saute pan over medium low heat along with 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable, canola oil or butter. Once heated, place 2 to 3 pies at a time into pan and saute until golden on both sides, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side. Allow to cool 4 to 5 minutes before serving.

To deep-fry pies, heat vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or a large heavy pot to 375 degrees F. Once hot, add 1 to 2 pies at a time and fry until golden brown, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.

To bake pies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place finished pies onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

CHOCOLATE FILLING:
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Pinch kosher salt
10 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

Place the sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and butter into a large zip-top bag and squish to combine. Cut a hole in one corner of the bag.

For each pie, pipe 1 to 2 tablespoons of mixture onto the center of the dough.

Yield: 10 to 15 pies