I'm a Northerner. I've never heard of fried pies!

I'm not a Southerner, and haven't made fried apple pies, but I think the answer is in your post. Shortening has less water than standard butter. The water in butter helps make flakes when it steams off in the oven, but you said your crusts flaked too much. The Crisco currently on the market has almost no trasnfat. You could also try cold pressed oil, but I don't know how it would handle when fried. Vegetable shortening is tried and true. Perhaps start with a crust recipe specifically for fried pies, too, to have the best fat to flour ratio.

I agree with Amylou about the temperature, too. Generally, set the temperature to 375° F so that when you put your cool (room temp) items in the oil, the temperature will stay at heat. It has to be at or above 350° F to brown.

The biggest trick is practice! Do four more batches, and you'll be a pro.

I'm not a southerner, but I'm married to one, and he loves fried pies, although his flavor of choice is peach.

I agree on the crust, butter is just too "fragile", it needs traditional pie dough, I use lard because I render my own. I've also made them with Nathan's Never Fail pastry and that worked too.

The oil must be hot, the pies should be small and don't try to fry too many at a time, you have to keep that oil temperature up.

The pastry recipe is from our dearly departed SharonCB, who I miss. The crust makes a LOT and it's the easiest stuff to handle I've ever made.

For the record, I've never made anything from Paula Deen that was worth a darn, I guess you really do have to be a Southerner for it to work!

NATHAN'S NEVER FAIL PASTRY
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These quantities make enough pastry for 3 double-crust pies or 3 1/2 dozen tart shells - muffin size.

5 cups flour
1 teasp salt
2 teasp baking powder
1 lb (454 grams) Tenderflake lard
2 teasp white vinegar
1 egg - slightly beaten. Add water to vinegar and egg to make 1 cup
1) Mix together flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in lard until crumbly (using two knives.)
2) Add liquid and mix gently with hands. (I use a fork to help me here.) Roll into a ball.
3) Roll out amount needed on a floured board. Refrigerate or freeze remainder.

Source: 'I've GOT To Have That Recipe'
Doubleday Canada - Victoria, B.C. 1986
sharoncb's tip: After step two I often put it in the fridge for an hour to make it firmer and easier to roll out.

Annie

Great information here, thank you. Maybe I will attempt one more time.

Interesting info and crust recipe, Annie! I'm tempted to try a small test batch with gluten-free flour.

Annie, I knew I recognized that recipe you posted. I have that cookbook and the sequel, I’ve got to have that recipe too. I love them!

I’m a Southerner, born and bred. I’ve never made fried pies, but it was one of the 2 things my daddy would cook (the other was vegetable soup). I don’t think he ever cooked without Mother there to “guide” him, except once. Mom had gone somewhere and Daddy and I were at home. He wanted peach fried pies. Mother’s recipe said “1 t. salt.” Daddy used “1 T. salt.” Needless to say, they were inedible!

Dang, now I need to make some fried pies. My favorites are peach and chocolate. The chocolate is a little over the edge, but then again, so are fried pies in general. :)

PM, I've thought of trying this with gluten free flour, the texture is so nice and easy to work with. It's just one of those things I haven't gotten to yet, so I'll be interested if you do try it.

Louise, if the other recipes are as good as this one, I'm sold, this is the easiest pastry to work with that I've ever made.

I really ought to make some pies...

Annie

The only fried pies I ever make are the campfire hobo pies made with a pie iron. We use grands biscuit dough for those with pie filling or pudding. We also do fried breakfast pies with biscuits, eggs, precooked bacon or sausage, and cheese.

I watched Kevin Belton make "hand pies" on PBS and they looked wonderful, but when I try to view that episode I can't get in. If you know how to you might want to try that one. My Mom made fried apple pies and if she didn't have apples she would use applesauce. They were fabulous but I was a kid - never got the recipe but then I'm not the greatest fry cook in the world, either. Her fried everything was spot on but I always struggle with it. I shouldn't be eating it anyways, bad for my digestion.

I loved it when McDonald's had fried pies