Small Fried Apple Pies
***This is the most important thing to remember when reading this post: Mr. Picky Eater LOVED them – he even complimented me. He didn’t get that nickname for throwing about admiration for my cooking skills, so this recipe is a great big success as far as I am concerned!
Small Fried Apple Pies
As I was reading other blogs today, I ran across the greatest recipe from The Home Heart. It made me think of my grandparents Dan and Jim. Tomorrow would have been a birthday for both of them. They were born on the same day, Dan in 1903 and Jim in 1905 in Indian Territory. I called them Nana and Jim-Pa. Dan, of course was a nickname that Jim-Pa gave her a long time ago. She was Dan to everyone; in fact, most people didn’t even know her name was Emma. It’s because when Jim-Pa met Emma, she was engaged to someone else, but he swept her off her feet and they eloped on Christmas Eve in 1923. The man’s name to whom she was previously engaged was Dan. Apparently, Pa called her Dan in a teasing way from the day they ran away until the day he died, New Year’s Day 1982. I loved them more than I can say and miss them very much! Nana taught me how to can jelly, iron and the value of being able to vote – she was alive when women first got the vote and she voted every single time the polls were open. Jim-Pa was the Sheriff in town and Nana babysat children and took in ironing. This is a picture of them taken about the time I was born.
As I was thinking of them, I began to crave one of her fried apple pies. She made them in a big iron skillet and they were the best tasting fruit pies in the entire world. Well, you guys know I’m on that diet and a pie bigger than my hand is certainly a no-no and besides, I’ve never made them before. But, was I going to let that stop me? Nope. I had two apples left from the Fresh Apple Cake I made on Sunday so, armed with my knowledge in math and a fairly good memory from watching her, I read the nutrition information on everything I needed and then I began dividing. I got it down to what I think is a manageable calorie intake. These pies are about 120 calories each, which really isn’t bad at all, is it?
Small Fried Apple Pies
Here is what you will need:
Small Fried Apple Pies
2 Pillsbury Pie Crusts – Nana made her own but I’m not doing that!
2 Apples
¼ Cup Sugar – optional
¼ teaspoon cinnamon – optional
I wanted them to taste as close to nana’s as possible so I did not put in sugar or cinnamon, ingredients that were expensive and hard to come by during the depression so she made them without and then never put it in later years.
First, you peel the apples and chop them up.
Small Fried Apple Pies
Then you put them in a pot and cook them down on very low heat and mash them up until they look like this:
Roll out the pie crust on a lightly floured board. Using a 3 inch cookie cutter, cut out about 7 circles.
Place a scant teaspoon of the cooked apples in the middle of the round.
Using very cold water and your fingers, wet all the way around the pie, fold it over and crimp edges with the fork and make a slit in the top
Put a little oil in a skillet and let it get hot first, then place the little pies in the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Small Fried Apple Pies
Take them out of the oil when they are cooked and place on a wire rack with paper towels on them so that will take off the excess oil.
Small Fried Apple Pies
Icing recipe
You will need:
1 teaspoon softened butter
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1-3 Tablespoons milk
Whip that up with a fork and then put the glaze over the warm pies. Don’t they look delicious?
Small Fried Apple Pies
Only 120 calories? That’s AWESOME! And, they look really, really delicious. I’ve never had a fried pie, but I might have to try them. I don’t remember the last time I ate something deep fried 😉
You can’t live in the South and escape deep fried! 🙂
My mom always maid those when I was very little.
She used chunky applesause, that was back in the 50’s
I thought of them when I saw this recipe.
This looks easy and fast. Thank you for a mostly nutritious snack. I even read the story. Very sweet.
You are welcome Colleen – thank you for dropping by and please do come back again!
And I thought your apple cake recipe looked good… now this!
Thank you!
OMG! I want!!
They really are good and I ate 1 and was satisfied – which was nice.
God you are such an autumn queen right now, love this 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thank you! Must be because I grew up with fruit trees in the back yard and had to do something with all the fruit each year!
I love that picture of your grandparents – looks like a Rockwell painting. The pies look wonderful – I’ll have to try some for my dieting daughter.
Lillian
lillianscupboard.wordpress.com
Thank you so much! I love that picture too. I look a great deal like Nana and it really shows in that one. The little pie sure did satisfy my want for something sweet and I didn’t have to feel bad about it being some crazy amound of calories!
Oh these look so YUMMY! I bet my Ruggedly Handsome Contractor Husband will love these! I might even try them with the Zucchini Cobbler filling that fooled so many people into thinking they were apples. I’ll let you know……
Beth
Please do! We always have extra Zucchini around here and I could use that!
I love the story about your grand parents. That is so awesome how their birthdays were on the same day. I wish I could get my hands on the ready made dough. I would be all over this. I am too lazy to make my own right not. As usual, great post. 🙂
Thanks Liz! Nana tried to teach me how to make pie dough but it just comes out awful so I buy the stuff. I know it’s got to be really hard to get some things over there – and I can’t think of a substitute at all! If I do, or if I find something I will let you know!
Thanks! 🙂
your nana seems like a remarkable woman! it’s very sweet of you to continue making her recipes and keeping her alive in your hearts and memories 🙂
those pies look SOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!!
-Abeer @ http://www.cakewhiz.com
Thank you so much, on both counts! 🙂 Your cake on CCU’s sight was beautiful and very creative!
Kelly, my hubby has been begging me to try and make a fried apple pie (he has fond memories of the ones McDonald’s used to make, yuk) Can’t wait to surprise him with yours! Pinned.
Thank you so much! I am trying my hardest to keep ONE for my mom who is coming over later this morning so she can try them…..but it continues to call my name – at least that’s what my husband said this morning when I scolded him and said the last one was for her! 🙂 I’ll have to make some more. We really like the smaller size. Only request from Top Girl was not to put glaze on her’s next time because Nana didn’t do it that way!
Oh how sinful! These look wonderful- as well as the apple cake post before this one. I love all things apple “)
Thank you! I put them both on RecipeNewZ and the Apple cake one went crazy! I got a nice note from Elana, the owner saying she featured me on her FB page. I love that site almost as much as Wknd Ptlk. Those little pies are so nice, because at 120 calories, I can actually have one – well, I could have one if Mr. Picky-eater had left any!
LOL! Well the 120 calories each just completely sold me!!
LOL! Well the 120 calories each just completely sold me!! And you reminded me of one of my favorite apple cake recipes I posted last winter which will go into wknd potluck today 🙂
Oh yay! I will look for it. I’m always happy to try a new one – I still have some apples and since they are going to be so expensive because of the heat, I’ll be happy to freeze said cake! 🙂
Yes it freezes perfectly. Speaking of apples needing use- I’ve had a bag in my refrigerator for a few weeks. I think I know what I’ll be making with them ;p I’m so glad we hooked up today!
Me too! Take pictures and let me know how they turned out!
I’m visiting my daughter in Ga. and her husband wanted me to make him fried pies and a sweet potato casserole with the pecan crunch topping. I did both I used 2 large Granny Smith apples. Cooked soft with butter cinnamon brown and white sugar and a can of grand biscuits that made 8 pies then dipped them in a powdered sugar glaze. He said ma u can still do it. I’m 82. Just found out I can get dried apples off Amazon. We used to dry them in Tenn when I was a kid.
Thank you Bernice! I appreciate the “short cut” contribution. I have some biscuits in the fridge now and my mother (who is 83), has been asking for some fried pies and I think I will just make them like yours. Thanks! Kelli
I like portion sized desserts…I can control myself:)
They look yummy and your photos are awesome.
It was neccessary for me to do so and I was so happy that it turned out well! Thank you for both compliments!
YUM! These looks too good!!! Glad you shared this recipe.
Hugs,
Marcie
Thank you for inviting me to!
I just pinned this! I love heritage recipes. There is something about keeping the simple wonderful traditions of the past that makes cooking special! Thank you so much for sharing this fabulous recipe. I cannot wait to try it. I found your great recipe at Friday Food Frenzy. Krista @ http://ahandfulofeverything.blogspot.com
Thank you for dropping by and please come again – I was just thinking I wanted to make these this weekend – it’s so cold here and a nice small warm pie would be great! Please come again!
Ahhh! These look fantastic! My family would love this! Pinned it. Thanks for sharing on Sweet & Savoury Sundays! Hope to see you there this Sunday! 🙂
I will be there! Thanks!
Reblogged this on lost creek publishing.
These pies looks so delicious. So fun to read about your grandparents! 🙂 We have a Strut Your Stuff Link party every Saturday at Sixsistersstuff.com. It goes live Friday nights at 8:00. We would love to have you link up! -The Six Sisters
Thank you! I will!
Yum! Those are so pretty and sound awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much!
Those look yummy. I’m especially excited about the icing recipe, though. I’ve been wanting to add something to my scones…ya know, to make them even less healthy. Thanks!
That’s what makes it taste so good!!
Awesome!
Thank you Anna!
i am now learning to cook since my wife died. having a sweet tooth i would like the recipe for
lemon fried pies. we have always called them turnovers. ray s also mentioned a grower in
arizona about chile seeds. are you able to procure his address? thank you for your recipes. joe
Hi Joe! I only recently learned how to cook well – I’m so sorry about your wife though, I’m sure you miss her very much! You can get the recipe for the lemon fried pies on this link – just click on it! :)http://chocolatechocolateandmore.com/2013/01/fried-lemon-pies/ I will do my best to get the address you are wanting. I will respond here when and if I find it! Thanks for dropping by and please do come again!
i will try these soon. i will use a deep fryer as a first try. thank you joe
Those will be wonderful!
where can I purchase the cookbook
That’s sweet Margaret – Maybe I should consider making one of – at least an eBook with pictures of my family…….I guess I just always thought no one would be interested in my Nana’s recipes except me – however, the truth is that any recipe that she cooked and I replicate goes like wild fire! Thank you for dropping by and please come back!
I second that motion! Since I found this recipe for apple glazed hand pies I don’t use any other I included them as a dessert in my box lunches I served at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey and the soldiers loved them.
MY MOM WOULD MAKE THESE PIES WHEN I WAS A YOUNG GIRL, BUT SHE WOULD DRY HER APPLES OUT HERSELF,
AND MAKE HER OWN DOUGH, SO GOOD! DID YOUR NANA EVER MAKE ICING FOR HER CAKE WHERE SHE PUT
SOME BATTER IN HER ICING WHEN SHE COOKED IT TO THICHEN IT TO PUT ON THE CAKE! MY MOM CALLED IT HER
EVERY DAY CAKE, SO GOOD! MY SISTER AND I HAVE LOOKING FOR THIS FOR YEARS, HOPE SOMEONE CAN HELP US!
GOD BLESS!
Hi Louise and thanks so much for dropping by! I am not sure about the cake and icing but my daughter – who learned every trick Nana had. If she knows about it I promise, I will make a post of it and then come back here and let you know for sure! 🙂
I was a very unhappy girl when I was 15, and decided to go live with my sweet Grandmother for a year. When she knew I was down in the dumps (She had raised 6 daughters), she used to make up a batch of these fried pies and have them waiting hot and crispy when I got home from school. She made her own pastry of course and I am pretty sure that she used dried apples for the filling. I will definitely try your recipe. She also used to make a simple one layer cake that she called crazy cake or funny cake. It was not chocolate, but more like butterscotch or caramel. The sauce was poured on top of a yellow cake batter, and then baked. The sauce seeped through and made a delicious layer on the bottom. I have looked and looked with no success. (This would have been in the late 50’s.) Please help if you can. Thanks, Julie
Hi Julie! I’m so glad that you dropped by and I will look for a recipe like this, in fact, I was just digging through my Nana’s recipe cards, papers, recipe book for my cousins and for some reason, that recipe sounds a bit familiar…………let me know and if I find it, I will email you! good luck with the fried pies. Nana had a special pastry too and it fried so well. I was just thinking how I wish I had that recipe too because sometimes, I would rather have that!
Thank you for sharing a recipe that is NOT deep fried, but appears to be delicious. I can’t wait to try this!
Hi Carol – I know you will love them just like we do! In fact, since apples are in season – I made some just last weekend and they were as great as the first time I had them when my Nana made them for me! Please come back again!
I just “hand pies” the other day?! I baked them (I LOVE fried pies but my doctor says NO!) and they turned out fine. Made apple and cherry . Had the cherry in the freezer. I had put it up earlier, just when cherries first came to market. Yummmmm. Also made my own crust. It’s just better (to me anyway) than the store bought. Like to choke and bake from scratch as much as possible. That way I know what goes in my food.
Dave
I have FINALLY conquered my Nana’s pie crust! I did so with her Peach Cobbler recipe on this site – It’s here: https://kelliskitchen.org/2014/07/nanas-old-fashioned-peach-cobbler/ is it anything like yours?
I like your recipes but they are impossible to print. Why don’t you make them
printable?
Barbara – they are easily printed – just under the recipe is a little green “button” on the left……….it says “Print Friendly” and you can print as much or as little as you want!
how did you cook the apples for the pie? I noticed you said “cook apples”
Yes! I didn’t think of that. Well, peel the apples and then cut the into one inch chunks. Put them in a sauce pan and barely — just barely — cover them with water. Put the pan on medium heat and let it all cook down. the water needs to be mostly gone when you are finally finished. You should add a cup of white sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon (if you like) to the mixture. Use about 4 apples. I use sweet ones like Pink ladies, Figi or Gala!! Good luck!
I was introduced to fried pies while living in southern Oklahoma. One of my favorite Sweet treats. Thanks for sharing 😊.
This recipe is definitely the one I am looking for. Only thing is I want to add spices like sugar, cinnamon, or maybe, apple pie spice. I know that’ll up the calorie intake. But I wanna indulge. So when would I add spices, before, during, or after cooking? Should I use a potato masher to break up the apples? Thanx for your response and thanx so very much for sharing your Nana’s recipe
Hi Ginny! Add the spices in before you cook and I would say yes, use the potato masher to break up the apples — they will be easier to work with! Good luck!
The Fried pies look fantastic. I loved the photo of your grandparents as well. I have had many of my family photos in worse shape than this that I have restored over the years. If you would like a copy of what I have done I would be glad to send to you if you have Facebook or email and no I am not asking for a payment for it. I am not a professional it is something I enjoy doing and it isn’t perfect but cleaned up. Let me know.
Oh my gosh! Such a very sweet gesture. I would love for you to — but I have to find the photo on my computer first. Once I do, I’ll email you. Thank you, Shirley!
I am looking at the recipe for the fresh apple cake and I noticed that when you specify to use 2 greased and floured dishes or pans, it look like you have the pans lined with paper. You didn’t say to line the pans in the recipe, so is this optional? If you do use paper, are the pans lined with parchment paper or freezer paper and once the cake is done do you leave the cake in the pan for 15 minutes to cool before you pour the glaze over it?
Hi Lucille – Thanks for dropping by! Yes, I did use parchment paper in those pans because nothing sticks to parchment paper! It is optional, I used it often in my old stove/oven because I couldn’t regulate the temp just right. I left the cakes in the pans for about 15 minutes, then flipped them over to pop out, peeled off the paper and glazed then. Please come back again!
Kelli could you please share your grandmas dough recipe for the fried pies thank you