deep fried apple pie

there are only a few absolute rules of food. for example, everything will always taste better with bacon. another rule is never turn down pie. take this to heart and your life will improve dramatically. but what if you already love pie but it’s just not extreme enough for you? default to another absolute of food, namely that everything can be deep fried.

deep fried pies are basically fruit empanadas. the filling is cooked ahead of time and then wrapped inside a simple pastry dough. apple pie is my all time favorite, and the filling is so good that it’s hard to not just dump it all on a big bowl of vanilla ice cream…or forget the ice cream and just walk around the house eating the filling with a spoon. to be totally honest, i went the easy route with the dough when i made these, using pillsbury biscuits that i rolled out into rounds. i have provided a recipe for a great dough below though in case you want to use it.

now while i’m over my initial fear of deep frying (everything i can get my hands on), i can understand why this could be a little too extreme for some (wusses). whether it’s for health reasons or a phobia of hot oil burns, i won’t judge you too harshly if you want to bake the mini pies instead. either way, there won’t be any left at the end of the day.

deep fried apple pie
makes about 10 depending on how big you want your pies. adapted from the new york times and…paula deen.

crust (or you can use pillsbury biscuit dough)
2 3/4 cups flour
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), chilled and cubed
1 large egg, whisked with enough ice-cold water to make 1/2 cup

filling
2 Tbsp butter
4 tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice

plus oil for frying

1. make the dough: in a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar and salt. add butter and pulse until mixture forms pea-size crumbs. pulse in egg mixture a tablespoon at a time, until dough just comes together (you may not need all the egg mixture). divide dough into 10 equal pieces. flatten into disks with your palm, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 45 minutes.

2. make the filling: add the butter to a large saute pan and melt. add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until the apples are soft, about 15 minutes. remove from the heat and cool.

3. when the filling is cool, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to form 7 to 8-inch circles. place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling on 1/2 of each circle. brush the edges of the circle with water and fold the circle over the filling to make a half-moon shapes. seal by pressing the edges with the tines of a fork.

4. heat a deep fryer or a deep pot halfway filled with oil to 350 F. carefully add the pies to the oil, 1 at a time, and fry until golden brown, turning the pies as necessary for even browning, about 5 to 8 minutes. alternatively, you can bake the pies at 375 for 20 minutes or until golden. drain on paper towels. sprinkle with powdered sugar immediately.