Recipe: Fried Apple Pies

When I was little, I wasn’t sure my mother meant fried, apple pies or fried-apple pies, but either is great. I think the fried-apple pies are tastier, but if you’re in a hurry, warm applesauce is a great substitute. Also, you may use pie dough for the pies, but biscuit dough makes a more tender crust.

INGREDIENTS:

• Biscuit dough (see recipe below)
• Fried apples (see previous recipe)
• Oil

Biscuit Dough:

• 2/3 cup butter or margarine
• 2 cups flour
• 2.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup milk

Preparation: Put the dry ingredients into a bowl. Grate the butter or margarine into the flour mixture with a cheese grater. (Clean by using some of the flour to remove the butter clinging to the grater.) Mix in the milk and stir only until moistened. 

Roll out dough onto a floured board to one-half inch thickness. Cut into circles or squares, whichever is easier for you. Put 1/4 cup of fried apples (or applesauce) onto the middle of the circle or square. Moisten the edges of the dough and fold over the apples. (Fold the squares diagonally to form triangles.) Using a fork, press the dough edges together.

Heat a half-inch of oil in a small iron skillet. Using a spatula or egg turner, lower a pie into the oil. Brown on each side.  (It will take longer for the first pie to cook than subsequent ones because the oil will be hotter for them.  As the oil heats, turn the heat down a bit, making sure your are maintaining an even temperature.)  Drain the pies on paper towels and enjoy.

[I have made these with nearly any kind of apple available, even red delicious apples, which are supposed to only be used for eating out of hand. Almost any apple works.]

Gallery: Recipe: Fried Apple Pies

Recipe: Fried Apples

Everyone has a favorite apple recipe. This one is mine. Coming from Tennessee, my mother loved pork (pork chops, fried ham, fried slices of pork loin).  She always fried up a pan of apples to eat with the pork.  I also fry apples to serve with pork or potato pancakes.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 apples
• 3 Tbls. butter
• Salt to taste, optional

Preparation: You can peel the apples if you wish. Core the apples and slice thinly. Melt the butter in a small iron skillet.  Put the apples in and cook over low to medium heat, covered, for 10 minutes. Turn the apples so that they all have a chance to be basted in the butter. Cook the apples, without the lid, letting the slices caramelize in the butter. Watch carefully so that the slices do not burn. Some people just want the apples cooked through. Others, like myself, appreciate the caramelization on the apples.

Gallery: Recipe: Fried Apples