Fried Peach Pies

Ingredients:

For the Pie Crust:

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, grated
• ½ cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon vinegar

For the Filling:

• 2 peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup canola oil for frying

Instructions:

Pie Crust:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder.
2. Cut in the grated butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits of butter throughout.
3. Mix vinegar into the cold water, then gradually add this mixture to the flour until a dough forms. Be careful not to overmix.
4. Chill the dough in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.

Filling:

1. Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Create a slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of water in another bowl.
3. Melt butter in a medium-heavy skillet over medium heat. Add diced peaches and cook for a moment.
4. Sprinkle the sugar and spice mixture over the peaches, stir, then add the flour-water slurry. Mix well.
5. Cover and let the peach mixture cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Assemble and Fry:

1. Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to about ⅛ inch thick. Cut out 4-inch circles, re-rolling scraps as needed.
2. Place a tablespoon of the cooled peach filling off-center on each dough circle. Fold the dough over to enclose the filling, pressing the edges together, then crimp with a fork to seal.
3. Heat about an inch of canola oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the pies in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, until golden brown on both sides, approximately 5 minutes.
4. Drain the fried pies on a plate lined with paper towels.

Serve your homemade fried peach pies warm or at room temperature for a sweet, comforting treat.