Fourth of July Fried Pies

By Tamipri

Ingredients

• Blueberry, Peach, and Cherry Pie Fillings:
• 1/2 pint fresh blueberries
• 1/4 c. blueberry preserves
• 2 white peaches, peeled and chopped into 1/2" dice
• 1/4 c. peach preserves
• 1 c. fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
• 1/4 c. cherry preserves
• Dough:
• 6 c. flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 Tb. salt
• 1 c. (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 c. ice water
• safflower oil, for deep frying
• Glaze:
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 2 Tb. milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

To make the fruit fillings: In 3 separate bowls, combine the blueberries with their matching preserves, the peaches with theirs, and the cherries with theirs.

To make the dough: Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter into 1/2" cubes. Work the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the ice water and gently form the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into 1/3 (each ball should be about the size of an orange). Sprinkle a thin layer of flour on a pastry board or other flat, smooth surface. Roll out each portion of dough to 1/16th inch thickness, a little thicker than a tortilla. Cut out dough circles with a 5" cutter. Each ball of dough should make 4 rounds. Put 1 Tb. of filling flavor in the center of each dough round. Fold the dough rounds in half; wet your fingers and press to seal the edges with water. Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork.

To fry the pies, pour about 3 inches of safflower oil into a deep-frying pan and set it over medium-high heat. The oil is hot enough when a scrap of dough dropped in the pan sizzles and bubbles. Fry the pies, a few at a time, until golden brown (they float, so this should take about 2-3 minutes per side). Drain on paper towels.

To make the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Using a pastry brush, glaze the warm pies. Serve immediately.

For Baked Pies: If deep-frying seems daunting, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Beat 1 egg with 2 Tb. water. Brush the top of each pie with the egg wash. Bake them on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet for about 12 minutes, until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. These are best eaten on the same day they are made, but if necessary, the pies can be reheated at 325 degrees for 5-10 minutes.

Savory Fried Pies: Fill pies with sliced ham or turkey and cheese; sauteed spinach and crumbled feta chees; scrambled eggs with bacon bits and shredded cheese; or goat cheese with sun-dried or roasted tomatoes. You can also make "pizza" fried pies with tomato sauce, pepperoni, and shredded mozzarella.