A sign advertising Amish Fry Pies at Hershberger's Farm Market near Charm, Ohio.
By Kevin Williams
Very few confections capture the essence of the Amish more than, say, whoopie pies. Whoopie pies get most of the attention but there is another kind of pie that is perhaps even more quintessentially Amish: Fried Pies. Or are they fry pies?
Apple Fried Pies
For the uninitiated fry pies resemble the Hostess fruit pies found in generations of lunchpails. While I like the Hostess version, really, there's nothing better than a homemade pie.
Fried pies are a staple of the Amish dessert diet. They are relatively easy to make and they are very portable, so it makes a great “lunch bucket” snack. Fried pies are popular throughout Amish country, but seem especially popular in the South. There’s a Beachy Amish Mennonite-owned Fried Pie “factory” in Whitesville, Tennessee and there’s an Amish woman in Ethridge, Tennessee who makes superb fried pies and sells them on Saturday mornings. Yummy! You can find some of the Whitesville fried pies in some Schnuck’s supermarkets in the St. Louis and Memphis areas. Those are some good pies if you can find them! Fried pies have been popularized in Amish literature and can found in my flavors: peach, raspberry, blackberry, and even grape. You can also get “chocolate” fried pies filled with a chocolate filling. Yum. The Country Crust Bakery in Bainbridge, Ohio has superb fried pies.
This is a lemon fry pie I picked up at a small produce market last night.
There is a small country market near where I live that sells "Amish made fried pies" that are delivered fresh each Thursday. I won't nail them for false advertising, but they aren't Amish-made. They are good, though.
Fried Pie Friday - Apple Fried Pies
Ingredients
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup shortening softened
- 2 eggs slightly beaten
- 1 13- ounce can evaporated</g> milk
- 2 1 /2 cups apple pie filling homemade or you can use store-bought, but that would deviate from the Amish scratch-made fillings..you can also use other flavors besides apple
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and milk together and then add to the shortening-flour mixture. Mix with a fork just so it holds together and no more. Roll out rather thin, to about 1 /8-inch thickness. Cut out small rounds using a 7-inch saucer or circle as a pattern. Spoon some of your favorite fruit pie filling on one side. Be sure your filling is fairly thick and cold or it will run. Fold over and seal the edges well. Deep fry in melted shortening, about 2 inches deep, until golden brown on both sides, 2 minutes per side. Dip into the powdered sugar glaze and then put onto a baking sheet or cooling rack to cool before serving
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 c. powdered sugar
- ½ tsp. vanilla
- 1½ to 2 tbsp. milk
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- Put butter in 2 cup glass measure cup.
- Cook on high for 30 seconds or until melted.
- Add all ingredients. Starting with 1½ tablespoons milk, add more only if needed to get glaze consistency. Drizzle over cool cake. Yield: About ½ cup.
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