Beth Purifoy of Greenwood, Miss., learned to make fried apple pies in her mother's kitchen. Today, she teaches children ages 8 to 10 to make them in the Viking Range test kitchen in Greenwood. When fresh apples are not available, she uses dried. And sometimes she uses dried apples even when she can get fresh — she prefers their denser consistency. Older children can peel, core, and slice the apples, while those younger than 8 can roll the dough, shape the pies, and pinch the pockets closed. (For more tips on cooking with kids, click here.)
For the Filling:
3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced, or 8 ounces dried apples
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons water (1 cup if using dried apples)
3/4 cup oil for frying
1/4 cup powdered sugar
For the Pie Crust:
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon of fine salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confections sugar
1 egg, beaten
Equipment:
Vegetable peeler (or mechanical apple peeler)
Paring knife
Large mixing bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
Large skillet
1. To make the filling with fresh apples, combine apple slices, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 20 minutes. To make the filling with dried apples, combine the dried apples, sugar, and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the apples are soft and syrupy, about 30 minutes.
2. On a floured surface, roll out half the pie dough out until you have a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Use a 4-inch round cutter to cut out as many circles as you can.
3. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the middle of each circle. Fold dough over to form a half-moon. Using the tines of a fork, press down on the edges to seal them. Repeat with the remaining dough.
4. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Working in batches, fry the pies, turning them once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve the pies warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Yield: Makes 20 to 24 pies.
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