Ingredients

Pastry for Fried Pies:

2½ cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 tablespoons cold Crisco shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

Filling for Fried Pies:

3 cups Dried fruit (apricots, peaches, apples)

1½ cups water

6 tablespoons Sugar

¼ teaspoon Cinnamon

¼ teaspoon Ground Allspice

Cooking Method

Pastry for Fried Pies:

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 ¼ cup ice water, then drizzle evenly over flour mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.

1. Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, ½ tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated.
2. 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.

Filling for Fried Pies:

In a nonreactive pan on very low heat, simmer the dried fruit in the water for 30 to 45 minutes, or until very tender. Add water if necessary to prevent scorching. Allow to cool; mash fruit slightly. Stir in the sugar and spices. This step of the preparation may be done in advance and refrigerated; however, warm up the fruit (microwave is fine) enough to take the chill off and make it workable before filling your pies.

Putting It All Together:

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).

Frying

You can get out the Fry-Daddy, Electric Skillet, or just an old iron skillet.  All of these will give you a great pie.  If you use the Fry-Daddy then let it heat the oil, carefully lower the pies into the oil, one at a time, and each one will cook remarkably fast. They will turn a nice even golden brown in 3 or 4 minutes. You don't have to worry about cooking the filling -- it's already cooked. The frying process is merely cooking the dough.

If you are pan-frying, rather than deep frying heat about half inch of oil in an electric frying pan and set the temperature at 375 degrees F.  These will take longer to brown and, of course, you have to turn them, but the end result will be every bit as good.  Whatever the frying method, be sure your oil is very fresh.  You don't want your pies to take on the flavor of last week's onion rings.  Sprinkle the hot fried pies with confectioner's sugar or if you prefer cinnamon sugar will be good, too.

Note:  If making the dough is not a fun thing for you then just pick up some refrigerated "Flaky Biscuits" the next time you are at the super market.  Just roll out the biscuit and just like magic you have the pie crust.