Best Nanas Small Fried Apple Pies Recipes

MINI APPLE PIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the phyllo shells on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven (keep the oven on) and let cool.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and lemon juice. Cook, stirring often, until the apples start to soften and release some juices, about 4 minutes. Add the sugar and continue to cook, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes more.
• Stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Stir into the apple mixture and cook, stirring often, until the liquid is very thick, about 2 minutes more. Stir in the vanilla, remove from the heat and set aside.
• For the granola crisp topping: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir together the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, butter and honey and spread the mixture on the baking sheet, using your hands to form some small clumps. Bake until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir in the almonds and let cool.
• To assemble, add a heaping tablespoon of the filling to each phyllo shell, followed by a tablespoon of the topping. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FRIED APPLE PIES

Steps:

• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, butter and 1 tablespoon water. Cook, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is bubbling. Add the apples, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and lemon juice. Mix together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl to create a slurry. Add the cornstarch mixture to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool completely. You can make this ahead of time and chill in the fridge a day or so in advance if needed.
• To make the pies, roll each biscuit into about a 5-inch circle that is about 1/8 inch thick. Spoon 2 generous tablespoons of the apple filling on each round of dough, just off center. Use your finger and run a little water around the edges to help them seal completely. Fold one half of each circle over onto the other half and seal in the apple filling, forcing out any air that you can. Press the edges together and crimp with a fork. Continue until they're all assembled.
• Heat the oil in a high-sided skillet over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees F. Fry the pies 2 or 3 at a time for about 5 minutes, carefully turning them halfway through. Remove them to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
• When all the pies are fried, sift the confectioners' sugar over top. Serve with Cinnamon-Caramel Sauce or store-bought caramel sauce.
• Mix the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter and a pinch of salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking gently, until it thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla, cinnamon and a second pinch of salt and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat and allow to cool to room temperature before serving. Chill if not using immediately.

FRIED APPLE PIES

Steps:

• Sift flour and salt together. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix with fork. When the flour mixture is moistened, gather it into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Peel and dice the apples and place them in a saucepan. Combine the sugar and cinnamon; pour over the apples and toss to coat. Cook, covered, in a saucepan on low heat. Cook until soft, then mash with fork to form a thick applesauce. Allow to cool.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thick and cut rounds with a large cookie cutter (4 inches in diameter).
• In each round, place 1 heaping tablespoon fruit. Moisten edges with cold water, fold in half, and press edge with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Fry the pies, a few at a time, 2 to 3 minutes on each side; cook until the crust is golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

FRIED APPLE HAND PIES

Steps:

• For the pie dough: Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the shortening and butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add in the ice water and vinegar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the mixture just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and press into a large disc. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• For the filling: Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and then saute the apples, stirring, until just starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar and stir. Add the cinnamon, salt, ginger and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until some of the apples start to break apart (but most are still whole), about 4 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat. Set aside to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Fill a deep pot halfway with oil and heat to 365 degrees F. Roll the dough out 1/8-inch thick on a lightly-floured surface. Cut out eighteen 4 1/2-inch-diameter circles, gathering and re-rolling the dough if necessary. Beat the egg in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of water. Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of the apple filling into the center of each dough round. Brush the edge with some egg mixture and fold the dough over to make a half-moon shape. Press out the air and seal the edges with a fork. Repeat with the remaining filling and dough.
• Place 4 to 6 pies at a time into the hot oil and cook until golden brown, flipping as needed, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Cook's Note: The pies can be frozen for up to 6 months before frying. Frozen pies will take about 8 minutes to fry. You can also refrigerate the pies for up to 2 hours before frying.

FRIED APPLE PIES

Steps:

• Make pastry:
• Blend together flour, butter, shortening, baking powder, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture just resembles coarse meal. Whisk egg with 1/4 cup ice water, then drizzle evenly over flour mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated.
• Gather dough and knead just until smooth, 3 or 4 times, on a lightly floured surface (do not overwork, or pastry will be tough). Form dough into 2 (5-inch) disks and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Make filling:
• Briskly simmer all filling ingredients and a pinch of salt in a heavy medium saucepan, uncovered, stirring occasionally and mashing apples with a potato masher as they soften, until a thick purée forms, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.
• Make pies:
• Divide 1 disk of dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll out 1 piece on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 6-inch round, then put 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in center. Lightly moisten edge with water and fold dough over to form a half-circle, pressing out air around filling, then pressing edge to seal. Transfer to a large sheet of parchment paper and press floured tines of a fork around edge. Make more pies with remaining dough and filling (you may have some filling left over).
• Fry pies:
• Set a cooling rack on a large baking sheet or tray. Heat 2 inches of oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat until it registers 360 to 370°F on thermometer. Fry pies, 3 or 4 at a time, turning occasionally, until deep golden-brown, 7 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to rack to drain. Return oil to 360 to 370°F between batches.
• Dust warm pies with confectioners sugar before serving.

MINI FRIED APPLE PIES

Steps:

• Combine flour, crisco and milk and mix well.
• (I like to do this is a food processor).
• Roll into balls the size of a walnut.
• Flatten each with a rolling pin.
• Peel and dice apples.
• Cook apples, butter, spices and brown sugar together until tender.
• Cool slightly.
• Place one tablespoon of apple mixture in the center of each flattened ball of dough.
• Fold over and press edges with a fork.
• Fry in oil that has been preheated to 350° until golden brown on each side.
• Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

FRIED APPLE PIES

Steps:

• Make the pie dough: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour and salt to combine. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the butter is well distributed throughout, and the largest pieces are no larger than a pea. (You can also do this by hand with a pastry cutter in a large bowl.)
• Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the ice water and toss the mixture with your hands to distribute the water throughout the flour. Once the mixture is very fine, press and knead it a few times until it comes together. If there are portions of the dough that are more hydrated, use your hands to break them up, then incorporate the drier portions of the dough. The dough should not be totally smooth, or overly wet. If needed, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together easily in a ball.
• Divide the dough in half and form each into a disk about ½-inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Make the filling: In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add apples, tossing to coat in the butter. Add lemon juice, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt and stir to combine. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the apples start to soften, 5 to 6 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and flour. Add to the pot and stir well to combine. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. (If you'd like to make it ahead of time, the filling will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
• When the dough is chilled, and using a lightly floured rolling pin on a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk about ¼-inch thick. Use a 4-inch round biscuit cutter or cup to cut about five circles from the dough. (You can also use a plate or stencil as a guide and use a knife to cut.) Wrap the scraps in plastic wrap and chill while you fill the dough.
• Use a fork or small slotted spoon to transfer about 1 heaping tablespoon filling into the center of each circle. (Try to scoop just the apples, leaving behind most of the syrup.) Brush the outside edge of one half of the dough with cool water, then fold the circle in half to encase the filling. Press the edges firmly to seal, then crimp with a fork. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate, uncovered, while you shape the remaining pies. Repeat this process with the other disk of dough and combine the dough scraps with the others in the refrigerator.
• Re-roll the combined scraps to create about another 4 circles of dough and repeat the process with the remaining filling.
• Pour 3 to 4 inches oil in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When the oil reaches 350 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, you're ready to fry. (You can also test the temperature with a scrap piece of dough; it should immediately rise to the surface.) Line a baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Remove the pies from the refrigerator.
• Fry 3 to 4 pieces at a time (or fewer if necessary to avoid crowding) until evenly golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Watch the temperature of the oil. You may need to adjust the heat as you work. When the hand pies are evenly browned, use a spider or slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and transfer to the towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
• After about 1 minute, while the pies are still warm, toss them in the cinnamon sugar to coat, then set on a serving platter. Repeat the frying and coating process with the remaining pies. Serve immediately.

NANA'S APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Combine sugar and cinnamon. Remove 2 tbsp to a small bowl.
• Peel and slice apples. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar over the apples.
• Mix remaining ingredients well. Add ice water if needed to achieve a good consistency.
• Dive dough in half and roll out. Place one piece in the bottom of a 9" pie plate. Add the apples. Cover with the second piece of dough. Crimp the edges. Cut a vent in the top crust. Sprinkle reserved cinnamon-sugar over top.
• Bake in preheated 350F oven about 1 hour or until golden brown.