DEEP-FRIED APPLE PIES
Bursting with juicy diced apples and oozing with sweet sultanas, these hot pies are a perfect winter dessert to warm you up on those cold nights. Deep-frying these delectable little morsels just makes them doubly decadent and delicious.
Makes 12
3 granny smith apples
30 g (1 oz) unsalted butter
60 g (2¼ oz/ 1/3 cup) soft brown sugar, plus extra for sprinkling (optional)
60 g (2¼ oz) sultanas (golden raisins)
cottonseed oil, for deep-frying
ice cream, to serve
PASTRY
450 g (1 lb/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
60 g (2¼ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
10 g (¼ oz/2 teaspoons) salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
50 g (1¾ oz) sour cream
1 egg
210 ml (7½ fl oz) iced water
Core and peel the apples, then cut into 1 cm (½ inch) cubes. Put the butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the apple and cook, stirring for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir the sultanas through, then set aside to cool completely.
To make the pastry, place the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, sour cream and egg in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough attachment. With the mixer running on low, mix until fine crumbs form. Slowly add the water until a smooth dough is formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Roll out the rested dough to 2 mm (1/16 inch) thick — it will be translucent. Cut into twelve 6 cm (2½ inch) squares, then cut each in half diagonally to create 24 triangles.
Spoon 30 g (1 oz) of the cooled apple mixture into the middle of 12 of the triangles. Brush the edges with a little water, top with another pastry triangle and seal the edges. Place on a tray and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or deep saucepan to 170°C (340°F), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden in 20 seconds.
Fry the pies in batches for 3–4 minutes, or until golden brown, turning each pie halfway through.
Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with extra sugar, if you like. Serve hot, with ice cream.