These pies always remind Stephen of his feisty grandmother. One afternoon, when he was sixteen and had just gotten his license, he drove her to McDonald’s for their notorious fried pie deal: two hot apple pies for ninety-nine cents. Having served as a dutiful grandson, Stephen assumed one of the pies in the papery McDonald’s bag was for him . . . until he reached in and his grandmother shooed away his hand! Both warm pies, it turns out, were for her. Now any fried pie—even these peach ones, curved into little half-moons—makes him think of his grandmother. He loved her, but boy, was she not letting him anywhere near her pies.
The filling and the pie dough for these can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator, and the actual pies can be filled and shaped a few hours before frying. Wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to fry.
Makes 12 hand pies
Hands-on time: 55 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 55 minutes
FILLING
2 medium peaches, peeled (see page 245), pitted, and sliced (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold salted butter
CRUST
5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cubed cold shortening
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
10 to 16 tablespoons ice water
Vegetable oil, for frying
Powdered sugar, for dusting
1. To make the filling, place the peach slices in a medium saucepan. Add the lemon juice, granulated sugar, and cardamom. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Break up the peaches slightly with a spoon. Mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and pour the mixture into the pan with the peach mixture. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until it has melted. Cover and chill for 2 hours or until cold.
2. To make the crust, place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the shortening and butter; pulse eight times, or until the mixture resembles large peas. Add 10 tablespoons of the ice water and pulse eight times, or until the mixture starts to come together, adding the additional water as necessary, 1 tablespoon at a time. Squeeze a small amount of the dough in your fist; if it holds together, it is ready. If it crumbles apart, add more water. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
3. To make the pies, line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out one dough disk on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a round cutter, cut out six 5-inch rounds. Place the rounds of dough on one of the prepared baking sheets and refrigerate. Repeat with the second dough disk.
4. Place a heaping tablespoon of the chilled filling in the center of each dough round. Do not overfill. You will want a minimum of 1 inch of exposed dough around the edges. Using a brush or your finger, wet half of the outer edge of the circle with water to help the dough seal. Carefully fold the dough in half to make a half-moon shape, pressing the edges to seal. Use the tines of a fork to crimp and secure the edges. Refrigerate the hand pies while heating the oil.
5. Fill a Dutch oven or deep skillet with vegetable oil to a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set it nearby. Carefully place 3 or 4 pies at a time in the hot oil and fry until deep golden brown, about 6 minutes, turning as necessary to ensure even browning. Drain the hand pies on the paper towels and dust with powdered sugar. Serve the same day, warm or at room temperature.