Holiday Giveaway, Final Winners Announced

Thanks everyone who came out to participate in the Sweet Treats Holiday giveaway.
The Giveaway is now over. Winners for the week were:
 
My winner for Day 1 is Danielle!
My winner for Day 2 is Crystal Cox!
My winner for Day 3 is Erica Sandman!
My winner for Day 4 is Connie Prewitt!
My winner for Day 5 is Julie!
Winner of the $25 Tairen’s Lair gift certificate: Brittany Swartz!

Granny Wilson’s Famously Fabulous Apricot Fried Pies

Mom tells me this recipe was handed down from my great-grandmother. It’s a family favorite, cooked at every Thanksgiving and Christmas, usually the night before the feast so we can snack on them throughout the day while preparing out holiday meal.

Fried Pie crust

3 cups flour, sift before measuring
½ tsp salt
½ cup margarine
½ cup shortening
½ cup cold water
1 beaten egg

Combine flour and salt, cut in margarine and shortening until uniform. Mix water and egg and then add to flour mixture. Do not overmix. Dough should be soft and slightly tacky to the touch. If it’s too dry, it doesn’t roll out well. Divide into 2 portions, wrap in cling wrap, and chill in refrigerator for 1-3 hours

Fried Pie Filling
I like Apricot best, but other dried fruits would work as well (apple, peach, cherry).

3 cups dried fruit
Water to cover fruit in saucepan
¾ Cup to 1 Cup Sugar (depending on how sweet you like your filling. I actually skip the sugar in the filling, because I like the tartness of the apricots and find the powdered sugar to be enough sweet for me.)

Cook fruit, water, and sugar in saucepan (don’t use aluminum unless its Teflon coated) until soft. About 45 minutes on low, adding water as needed. Stir fairly frequently to be sure fruit doesn’t stick to pan. Fruit will absorb water, and should easily shred when stirred with spoon. You do not want the apricots whole.
After fruit is soft and shredded, combine:

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
¼ Cup of Water
Juice of a lemon

Dissolve cornstarch in water, stir in lemon juice. Add mixture to the fruit in the saucepan and cook until cornstarch clears and thickens the fruit mixture. Cool but don’t chill.

Prepare the pies

Roll out the sectioned, chilled dough on lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. Cut into rounds (I use the lid of a medium sized Crisco can) about 5 or 6 inches across. Add the dough scraps to the next section of dough, and roll out, etc.

For each cut-out dough round, put one or more heaping tablespoons of filling on the center, dip your fingers in water and wet the edge of the round, then fold the circle in half, sealing the edges well. You don’t want the filling to come out during frying. (I use fork tines to press the edges together.) The filled, sealed pie looks like a half moon.
Heat about half an inch of oil in a frying pan or use a deep fryer. Fry the pies on Medium heat until golden brown and put on paper towels to drain. While still hot, sift powdered confectioner’s sugar over pies.

My family loves them so well, I usually make a double batch. They are delicious either warm or cold. They do not need refrigeration.
Happy Holidays! And congratulations to all winners!