Fried Nectarine Pies

My mom would make fried peach pies and I could hardly wait for peach season.  These are nectarine fried pies that I made with frozen pie crust.  While these are very delicious, I recommend that you bake the pies instead of frying them, if you are using a pre made pie crust.  Why, you ask? Because of the amount of fat used to make these crusts will leave them a too "fried"..

If you are frying pies, you should use a crust with less shortening.  But it has been hot and I have been feeling lazy, so I fried these.  That is not to say that these were not good, they just do not hold over well.  Baking would have been a better choice.  Either way, I will provide the directions for fried or baked with pre-made pie crusts.  The recipe for homemade fried pie crust is posted on Fried Pear Pies..

If baking, pre heat the oven to 375 degrees.

2 cups of Nectarines, washed, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup of sugar
juice of 1 Lemon
1/2 teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
14 teaspoons of  Sugar
28 pieces of butter, 1/8 inch squares
4 ready made Pie Crusts, thawed
extra Sugar
extra Ground Cinnamon

Toss nectarines with lemon juice to keep the flesh from turning brown.  Add sugar and cinnamon; stir and set aside.
Unroll  pie crusts, one at a time, onto a pastry sheet or wax paper. Using a 3 1/2 circle, I used a large mouthed drinking glass dipped in sugar, cut out 7 circles of dough.  Remove excess dough from around the circles. Place 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and a little pat of  butter in each pie circle.  Place 1 1/2 Tablespoons of  chopped nectarines on top of the sugar and butter, keeping the edges of the dough dry.  Repeat until all circles have been filled. Dip your very clean fingers in water and run them around the edges of the first circle.  Fold the dough over to make a half circle and press to seal.  Repeat with all of the circles.  Follow this procedure until all of the pie crusts have been  cut, filled, and sealed.  Freeze the scraps of dough, or cook them as extra treats.

To fry

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet to 350 degrees.  Add a few pies at a time so that there is no crowding.  Cook in batches, until both sides are brown.  As the pies are taken out of the oil, place in one layer, on folded paper towels, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.  Repeat until all pies are cooked. Let cool before eating.

To bake

Place pies on cookie sheet and bake until browned, about 35 minutes.  Remove from cookie sheet and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.  Let cool before eating.

Enjoy!

Deloris