Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Chocolate Fried Pies

That's not the way to feel about anything as delicious as Chocolate Fried Pies. In fact, it's an insult to a Southern delicacy that's rarely made these days! I hadn't thought about fried pies in a long time, but Saturday when my BFF Chocolate kept knocking on my front door... I caved and went into the kitchen and made myself (I say myself because my better half knows to keep his mitts off my chocolate cravings!) some homemade chocolate pudding. The recipe is from Hershey and it's simple: 

CHOCOLATE PUDDING AND PIE FILLING
1/2 Cup Hershey's cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Dark Cocoa)
1 1/8 Cup sugar 
1/3 Cup cornstarch
1 tsp salt
3 Cups milk
3 TBS butter 
1 1/2 tsp good vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan, mix cocoa, sugar, cornstarch and salt, whisk well. Gradually add milk to dry ingredients in saucepan. Whisk til smooth and well blended. Cook over medium heat. Stir constantly. Mixture will come to a boil. Boil 1 minute, remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. Whisk to blend. Pour into serving dishes, or into cooled baked 9" Pie Crust. Cover with plastic wrap. Cool in refrigerator 4-6 hrs. Or till firm. 

Now I grew up on this stuff and it's as different from the little square boxes of  Jello as day and night. 
It's Pure Comfort, Mama loves you, The World is Round Food. 
It will take you away from politics, or the state of the economy or even a failed relationship. I don't think it can cure cancer though, that would be great wouldn't it?

I ate a few spoonfuls when I was pouring it into serving cups, you know from the the pan. I had to do that, it's wasteful to leave any smidgen~ Then I put the plastic wrap on each serving and put them in the fridge. About 9pm I remembered them, oh daddy! The first bite was Heaven, but you know... it was little RICH! I used to be able to eat chocolate buttercream out of a bowl with a big spoon but age has robbed the glutton clean out of me. I get ACID REFLUX, if I abuse my stomach it's just not worth it. So I ate a few bites and put it back in the fridge : (

The next morning after a few cups of coffee, my brain started working again and I knew just what to do with that decadent chocolate pudding/pie filling! Chocolate Fried Pies... just like Mama used to make and Grandma and probably her Grandma.

It's easy as 1-2-3 to stir up the crust, no waiting for it to chill. You just measure out 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup Crisco and 1/2 cup milk. Cut in the Crisco into your flour and salt with a fork or your fingers, just work it into a flaky consistency. Then add the milk and stir gently to moisten. If it's just a little dry and won't pull together, add a teaspoon more milk. Pat into a disk and then divide up into about 10 balls. 

Flour your surface and roll out the balls to make little 5 inch circles, not perfect circles unless you want them to look like store bought Hostess Fried Pies and that's not what you are making. You're making Grandma's Fried Pies and she'd be mortified if you cut them out to make them perfect!

Add a dollop, a rounded tablespoon or two to each little pie. 

Then dip your finger in a bowl of water and run it around the edge of the crust. Fold over and press, crimp the edge with a fork and place on a plate in preparation of the frying of the pies!

Don't they look purty? 

Heat the oil up to medium high, to test you can dip the edge of the crust into the oil a little. If it's just right, it will bubble slightly.

Slip them in, one at a time and watch them like a 2 year old! Don't be trying to clean up the kitchen or put away the flour or answer a text cause this is where you can mess up quick! 

Patience Grasshopper, you are looking for golden brown. Not tan, not brown, golden. 

Drain on paper towels and admire each one as they come out of the pan. Talk to them, tell them 
"I love you!"

Last one, and you are finished!  

Luckily, we had company this weekend and the fried pies went home with them. There's few things more dangerous than a fried pie on the kitchen counter. Especially if it has chocolate filling!

That is all.

Fried Pies

Fruit fillings are delicious too... just boil down some dried fruit with sugar and water and a little spice.
Filling
6-7 ounces dried fruit (peaches, apples, apricots or even a mix of all three)
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
1/4 cup butter 
 T lemon juice 
1/2 tsp cinnamon 
Dough
2 Cups Flour
1 Tsp salt
1/2 C Crisco
1/2 C of milk 
Place dried fruit in a pot and add water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer until fruit is tender. Add butter, lemon juice and cinnamon, mash together with a potato masher or fork. Set aside to cool while dough is prepared.
In medium bowl, place flour and salt. Stir together. Cut in shortening with a fork or your 10 little fingers! Add in milk and stir until dough sticks together. Divide into ten portions. Roll each portion out on a floured surface into a five inch circle. Place two tablespoons of filling in each. Use your fingertip to wet the edges with water and fold over, crimping with a fork. Cook in oil which has been heated on medium heat, until golden browned on both sides, turning as needed. Remove to paper towel lined plate.

PRINT RECIPE (Chocolate Filling too)

20 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Don't make them, if you do... send them away ASAP! They are good, simple down home yummy. Mom made the fruit variety often when I was growing up, Crisco was a staple at our house!

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  2. OH yes, I saw a show recently on the cooking channel that had the best fried dough pie recipe and then poof... King Arthur sends me a email/newsletter on flakey fried dough for fruit tarts. So I spent an hour searching for the best recipe.. then you come along and 'poof' me again. Oooh you are soo bad.

    (wink wink)

    with love,

    Cotton Peony
    missing you lots
    aka Olivia and Me blog

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    Replies
    1. I will have to go to King Arthur site and search for that flakey fried dough recipe. This one works and it is so easy to make and roll. I can remember Mom using Milnot in her pie crust, I imagine the extra fat makes the crust flaky? I confess I use half and half to make mine. If you're gonna be bad, be BAD!

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  3. Joy, I too grew up eating chocolate fried pies but not with chocolate pudding. My mom would stir up cocoa powder, sugar and butter for the inside. Oh man, those were sooooooo good. Sure do miss them.

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    Replies
    1. I see that recipe when I google, never had it that way. Does the filling kind of caramelize? The pudding/pie filling has to be cold to withstand the frying, but it makes it taste just like chocolate pie when they are done. Dangerous!

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  4. wow..when you get a craving you really go for it!...Never had a fried pie but they look delish...Chocolate pudding may not cure cancer but it was the one thing my dad could / would eat towards the end

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  5. I'll take chocolate over fruit fillings any day. YUM!!
    Those looked sooooo good!

    BTW, the link on my blog for "Sassy Senior" is now working.
    Sorry for the inconvenience. Here is a direct link
    you can copy and paste if you'd like.

    http://sassysenior17.blogspot.com/


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  6. Wow! This caught my eye for sure and brought back memories of my mom's fried pies and homemade chocolate pies (which I have been making recently). YUM! Your fried pies are bee-u-ti-ful!

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    Replies
    1. If you've ever had 'em, you DO think they are beautiful, don't ya! Our Aunt and Uncle were here visiting from Kansas and I thought it would bring back some good memories for them too. If you were lucky enough to have a Grandma that perfected the recipe, you are blessed!

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  7. You went to so much work! I'm so impressed and YUM! I wish I could come over. Your post reminds me of our trip just south of you to pick up some fried pies for the concessions business - Letha's Pies in West Fork, Arkansas.

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    Replies
    1. Oh it's easy Victoria... that's why this recipe is still made in many homes in the Ozarks! The pudding too, takes minutes to make then just chill. I haven't been to Letha's Pies... on my list now!

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  8. Ok, not fair. You are making me want one or two of those suckers...they look amazing. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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  9. Thank you for this post and the wonderful recipe :)) I just started a blog and I have a ton of old recipes, family favorites and ideas to share...this was one of my daddy's favorites :)) so thank you for the memories!!!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Shonda for your sweet comment! I am on a blogging break right now so you won't see daily posts for awhile. I poured my heart out on this blog, lots of memories, recipes and observations. LOVE the platform to talk about whatever is in our hearts! Welcome to blogging Sweetie!!!

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  10. I make peach and apple fried pies all the time, especially peach (I get an abundance of Georgia peaches each year, and I make the filling and freeze for pies in the winter)...I will be trying the chocolate ones now that I know how easy they are. My neighbor asked me about the chocolate ones and I now can make them.

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  11. I grew up in Northeastern Alabama, and when we had fried pies it was a treat. My grandfather loved these chocolate fried pies. I think I will make some this weekend in rememberance of him. Thank you for bringing back good memories for me.

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