Lela’s Fried Peach Pies
This post is for all of my facebook friends who have been waiting so patiently! I posted the photo two days ago as a teaser. I’m so mean! ~snickers~ Find me on facebook by clicking here. Do you tweet? Follow me here!
These are my great grandmother’s pies. Lela loved to make fried pies and the only kind we ever remember her making was peach. Mama loved her peach pies and ate them all the time growing up but one day asked her to make her apple instead of her customary flavor. So Lela got all of the ingredients and made a plate full of apple pies just for Mama. She took one bite and realized, unless they were peach, they just weren’t her her granny’s.
I remember Lela standing in the kitchen humming as she fried these, placing the crispy treats on a Corelle plate next to the stove as she dipped more into the hot oil in her cast iron skillet. The entire house seemed to smell of peaches, an especially welcome treat in the middle of the winter!
There are many ways to make fried pies nowadays and many shortcuts, but the traditional southern fried pie requires dried fruit and handmade dough, usually a form of biscuit dough rather than real pie pastry. Today I’m bringing you the traditional method, which is pretty easy. Hang on though because I also plan on bringing you two more methods pretty soon as well. They are a bit more newfangled, a bit different in taste and texture, but every bit as good.
Until then, if you’re yearning for an old fashioned fried pie like Granny used to make, you’ve come to the right place.
Before we get started with the recipe, here is my segment where I got to make these with Al Roker on the Today Show – that was Fun!
You’ll need: Cooking oil, lemon juice, cinnamon, bit of margarine, sugar, and some dried fruit. This is for the filling.
For the dough you’ll need flour, shortening, salt, and a bit of milk.
I didn’t picture the milk so we’re gonna have to use our imaginations here. Mooooo!
This is my little salt crock. It was made by Fire King and was originally used as a grease jar. Although these pieces of depression glassware were made very well, I couldn’t bring myself to chance putting hot grease in something so dear so I use it for a salt crock. It sits happily on my stove and I have salt at hand in a convenient form (no shaking it out!) anytime I need it.
Lets talk dried fruit.
Drying fruit was one of the least expensive methods of fruit preservation available to folks back in the day (still is, actually). Apples, peaches, apricots, and other fruits could be dried in the sun and put up, then reconstituted into delicious fried pies, sauces, and baked goods which were a welcome delicacy in the hard winter months.
There were all sorts of improvised ways of drying fruit. Some folks even dried fruit on their shingles! The hot rooftop and stiff breeze provided excellent conditions. They’d lay out the fruit on a piece of cloth or screen and cover with cheesecloth or another screen to keep the flies out. My great grandmother dried her fruit on sheets of tin with the pieces covered in cheesecloth. Later on in her older years, when life was easier, she just took to buying her fruit from the grocer’s in bags such as these. I asked Mama how they kept the ants off of it and she says she thinks the tin just got too hot for them. Hmm, that makes sense.
You can use this recipe with any number of dried fruits. Peaches, apples, and apricots are the most common.
To begin with, place your dried fruit in a pot and cover with two cups of water. Bring to a boil.
This bag was only six ounces of dried fruit but resist the urge to buy more because it will really go far!
I made ten pies out of this and ended up with about a cup of fruit leftover.
If you are using apples, you may find that your fruit needs about 1/2 cup more of water. There seem to be a lot more apples in that bag than there are peaches!
Bring that to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until they are tender and soft. This will take about twenty minutes. To test, moosh one with a fork and see if it is able to mash up a bit, like a cooked potato. If so, you’re ready.
Apples will be a bit firmer than peaches but that’s okay.
Turn off the heat and add margarine…
Add sugar and cinnamon
and a weeeee little bit of lemon juice.
Of course, if you are taking a picture and trying to get a shot of the juice actually pouring in you will most likely mess this part up and add two or three times the required amount but then you can just get a spoon dip out some of the excess really quickly.
It’ll still be fine. 
Not that I’d ever do anything like that, you know. ~looks innocent~
Use a potato masher or a fork and moosh all of that up together.
This is the consistency you’re going for. Aren’t pictures great?
This is kind of lumpy and saucy and it smells like my great grandmother is in the kitchen.
~looks over her shoulder and smiles at Lela~ She’s wearing a blue house dress with a tiny flower print on it and she’s sitting with her left arm propped up on the table. Her face is set in that naturally pleasant expression she always had, the one that makes her look like she is about to think of something funny. Inside the right pocket of her house dress is a perfectly folded kleenex. I think she’s waiting for me to finish the pies so she can have one. It’s been almost eighteen years since she passed away but these pies sure do bring her back.
Now we make our dough…
You can do this while your fruit cooks or let your fruit set aside a bit after you are done with it and make your dough then.
Place your flour in a bowl and add your salt.
Stir that up a bit.
Add shortening to the flour and cut it in..
Like this.
You just keep pressing down over and over with your fork and stirring it a bit and eventually it will all get incorporated together.
You can use a fancy pastry cutter for this but I prefer a good old fashioned long tined fork. No sense in complicating things.
It is going to look like this. All of the recipes I have ever seen where they have you cutting shortening into flour tells you to do it until it looks like peas. That is the silliest thing I have ever heard. Does this look like peas to you? Even squinting my eyes and cocking my head, this looks nothing like peas in any way, shape, or form.
So just cut it in until it looks like this and we’ll be done with the whole “peas” reference once and for all.
Unless, of course, we make peas – which I dearly love.
Now add in a little milk.
Y’all know the recipe is at the bottom of this post, right?
Stir that up a bit until it forms a dough like this. If you need to, you can add a bit more milk but I would only add a teaspoon at a time, stirring it up after to see if that is enough.
Dump that out onto a greased or floured surface and press it together to form a ball of dough.
Divide that into ten balls of dough.
Place a ball on a floured surface. I use waxed paper for this because it just makes cleanup so easy.
Roll or pat that out into a five to six inch circle.
If you want to be precise, you can lay a saucer upside down on it and cut around the edges to make a perfect circle.
Fortunately for me, I’ve never really had the urge to be precise…
Place about two tablespoons of filling in the center of each crust.
Dip the tips of your fingers in water and run them around the outer edges so they’ll stick together when you fold it over.
You can use a pastry brush for this if you like but your granny would shake her head at you.
Food tastes better if you touch on it a bit, transfers more love that way.
Fold your pie over and press lightly around the edges to seal.
It will look something like this.
My others weren’t as messy but this was the one I took pictures of. I think messy tastes better anyway.
Pour about an inch of oil into a medium to large sized skillet and allow to get hot.
I put my oil on medium high heat while I am rolling out my dough and then reduce the heat to medium when I actually cook the pies.
I’m using a cast iron skillet, but you can use a regular one if you prefer. There is a great tutorial on how to season a cast iron skillet on Southern Plate, you can read it by clicking here.
Place pies in hot oil and cook until brown on both sides, turning once or twice to cook them evenly.
Place on paper towel lined plate…
Smile, Lela is watching!
- My great grandmother, Lela
I just called my grandmother (Lela’s daughter) and said “Grandmama, I just made fried peach pies and they tasted just like Lela’s!” She said “Well now you’re getting good at cooking, aren’t you?”
~snickers~ Well I should hope so…
Fried Peach Pies
Filling
- 6-7 ounces dried fruit (I used peaches, can use apples, apricots, or other dried fruit)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
- 1 T lemon juice (optional, but I use it)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional, but I use it)
Dough
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1 Tsp salt
- 1/2 C shortening
- 1/2 C of milk (can add a little more if needed)
Place dried fruit in a pot and add water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer until fruit is tender. Add other ingredients and mash together with a potato masher or fork. Set aside while dough is prepared.
In medium bowl, place flour and salt. Stir together. Cut in shortening with a long tined fork. Add in milk and stir until dough sticks together. Divide into ten portions. Roll each portion out on a floured surface into a five or six inch circle. Place two tablespoons of filling in each. Wet the edges and fold over, crimping with a fork.
Cook in oil which has been heated on medium heat, until browned on both sides, turning as needed. Remove to paper towel lined plate.
Your attitude can make your life bitter, or better
Submitted by Southern Plate reader, Barb. Submit your quote here!
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My Tweets Got Blogged About!
We recently took a weekend trip to GA and my husband decided to try out this new navigational app for the iPhone. I had fun tweeting about it and picked up quite a few followers in the process! Much to my surprise, my tweets have also been blogged about! Read here!
Wondering what Twitter is? The easiest way to understand Twitter is that its like sending a text message, only instead of just sending it to one person, you post it on your twitter page and all of your friends can read it and reply if they like. You can view my twitter page here: www.twitter.com/southernplate
Posted by Christy Jordan
on Jul 9 2009. Filed under Misc.
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Can Fresh peaches be used? I have a tree loaded
This recipe rocks…. would make my grandma proud!
Please, come to Colorado!!!! Pretty Please…. with sugah on top!
I can smell those peach pies cooking! Thanks for bringing back great memories of my childhood!
Mmmm, I hope you get to make some soon Brenda, that way you can taste memories from your childhood!
Thanks so much for this recipe. I always tell people that when I was growing up, if it wasn’t fried, it wasn’t food and my Gramma even made fried apple pies. I never had a recipe for them but always remembered them longingly. I can’t wait to try these!
Thanks again!
)
You are so welcome Sandi!! I hope you enjoy them as much as the ones your Gramma used to make!
I’m with Roxie….can fresh or canned peaches be substituted? I have made enough peach bread/muffins/biscuits to last for a while and still have peaches.
They sure could, it is totally up to you!
Aw, the picture of your grandmother is so sweet!! I also have fond memories of my great grandmother Bertha drying apples! She always made fried pies with hers too. Isn’t it nice to have had grandmothers with the sweetest smiles, loved their grandbabies “to pieces” and taught us how to make good food with simple ingredients!! I seen you on the Today Show this morning and your such a “hoot”!! I’m glad to have found your website and wish you all the best with you new cookbook!! I hope one day I’ll have grandbabies who will remember me as fondly as I remember my granny!
Best Wishes!!
Rita Davis
Mena, Arkansas
Those look so good… and I am sure they taste even better. My great grandmother used to make the best peach pies.. actually EVERYTHING she made was good. I might have to attempt this one day.
Christy, I made these pies today. I could not get them out of the frying pan quick enough, and I never tasted one. Great Recipe! The remarks were wonderful. Thanks for posting. Keep up your good work. Diane from Texas.
The Grandkids have requested I make more for New Years Eve Party!
Love your recipes, but how do I copy them? Every time I try, I end up with 25 or so pages printed. Even though I highlight just the printed recipe, it prints all the pictures, etc.
Try choosing the print button at the bottom of the page instead of copying. It is supposed to only print out the recipe that way. Let me know if it works for you.
[...] To visit my post with step by step photos of how to make Lela’s Fried Peach Pies, click here. [...]
Christy, there is no print button at the bottom of the page that I can see
Hey Christy, congratulations for being on the Today Show!!!!! ♥ Going big time!!! You know, I just love your pictures & the way you describe how to cook things on your blog – thank you so much for all of the instruction – it truly helps this clumsy cook!!!! (love your thought for the day too!)
Can’t wait to try these. BTW – - you description of your greatgrandmother Lela sounds an awful lot like my grandmother and brought tears to my eyes. My kids now think I am crazy for “crying over a pie recipe”. One day they will understand.
You are the BEST!!!!
My grandmother always carried a Kleenex in her apron pocket, too! She wasn’t very impressed with me when she found out I was going through a box of them at a pretty fast clip…was using them as disposable diapers for my dolly….and I thought I was being quite creative!!! Thanks for the recipe and the memories you bring us, Christy!
Just got done reading ‘Older Comments’ and someone asked if you had a recipe for Chocolate Fried Pies and you responded that you did and that you would post the recipe soon…Being the true chocoholic that I am, I have looked for that post and have not been able to locate it and would sure love to have it…pretty please…with powdered sugar on top?!!!
Lol! You’re good! That ended up being an exclusive-to-the-cookbook recipe so the bad news is that I can’t post it but the good news is that it’s in the Southern Plate cookbook, so you have it and didn’t know it Debbie!
I made the fried apple pies New years eve night. I could not find the dried peaches. I have never made apple pies. And they were good. My husband liked them.
I am so glad that ya’ll enjoyed them!!
I have tried several variations of this recipe and so far all losers. I am trying to live up to my husbands memories of them and keep failing. PLEASE, baking gods let this one be it…lol I love to bake and he loves everything, except my pies. It’s killing me…lol
Now it smells like MY grandmother’s house too! I loved her peach fried pies and am going to try these soon. I really love your bowls and now you’ve got me looking at yard sales, antique stores etc for pyrex bowls. I’ve found a few pretty ones.
Could these be baked somehow to reduce the fat? I’m going to use light cherry pie filling, my 16 year old son’s favorite fruit.
Hi Christy~ I’m going to have to make these for my DH. He spent time in Georgia when he was in the Army and he’s always talking about Southern food. He’s even talked about “fried” pies and now I know what they are. These look just delicious…even to an Italian from New York!!!
Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes and chat!
~Peggy
We lost Mama in Sept of 2010, but I can see her now, standing in front of her “kitchen cabinet” with the pull out enamel biscuit board. Daddy used to say its a wonder she didn’t wear the finish off from all the thousands of biscuits that rolled off in all the years they were married. We lost him in 2008, but he praised her cooking till the day he died. But it was her biscuits and fried pies he loved the most. Many times when she made the breakfast biscuits she would made extra dough and put it in the fridge till later in the day, then pull it out and fry up some peach pies. She usually made her filling the day before, and sometimes if she was feeling a little fancy she would use a saucer to make each one perfectly round. How I miss those innocent childhood days. I better stop now before I need one of your Lela’s kleenex. Bless you Christy for bringing us these lovely memories.
Can the peach pies be frozen (either before or after cooking)?
I just posted a comment on your FB wall about the peach pies that I haven’t had in so long – decided to come to the blog and look them up. Nearly fainted when I saw the title….my aunt always used to make the fried pies when I was growing up – and her name? Lela!
I’ve never made them myself, and (my) Lela probably hasn’t made them in quite awhile, but just might have to try it once…such wonderful childhood memories this brings back. Thank you.
i’m concerned about the chemicals used to preserve the dried fruit. should the water be drained after the boiling step is complete? thank you.
[...] peach, strawberry and vanilla. Peg and I share fond memories of a southern tradition – fried fruit pies which are quite similar to El Chico’s empanadas. The biggest difference is that El Chico [...]
Could you use canned peaches?
I haven’t ever used them Mary. I think they would work but it would completely change the whole pie. The consistency, flavor and texture would be very different.
Oh. My. Goodness! You’re making me fat! I can’t wait to make these once my husband gets back from his work trip. It’ll put some great use to my cast iron skillet he bought me
. And I can use my new old Pyrex bowls I found!!
great idea Jessica!! You are gonna love using your new old bowls and the cast iron skillet!
My Mom made fried pies, and oh sis our house smell wonderful when she did. My Dad loved apricots so most of the time apricot pies, but sometime we had peach pies. They were soooo wonderful. I’m going to try to make these soon. My sister tried years ago but she said hers were to greasey, so she tried to bake them. she said they were ok but not nearly as good as Mama’s pies. Thanks Christy for your recipes and your thoughts you share with us.
They do make a house smell wonderful!! I can’t wait to hear how yours turn out, I know they will be delicious!!
YUMMY! Can’t wait to try these. I LOVE Fried Pies.
I hope you enjoy them Cindy!!
Nothing like seeing this at 10PM and going to bed hungry!
~giggles~ I hate when that happens to me too!
Oh, my gosh!! My Mother-in-law used to make these pies and they were to die for!! This has made me so hungry for fried peach pies….dried peaches are hard to find here. She would also used canned biscuits for the dough….it’s real easy and good as from scratch dough. I’m making some fried pies as soon as I find the dried peaches!! Thanks for this recipe!!
I hope you enjoy them Sharon!!
This is delicious. Step by step information with pictures are really helpful.
I love these cooked in butter or margarine. Just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. I also use Bisquick and a little milk. It’s soooooo much quicker and just as good. Try the butter! It is divine with a good strong cup of coffee on a cool, crisp fall night sitting on the deck with you loved one.
My gandma use to make these!! She would always use fresh fruit and then she used canned bisquits for the dough. She also made “sugar pies” when she had 3 or 4 left over bisquits. She would just pile on some sugar and put a pat of butter on top then fry them up. OMG they were the best!!!!! We of course had to cut them in half and share them because she never made many of these in fear of making us all diabetics!!! LOL!!
Oh my goodness, Sugar Pies. I bet they were a little like doughnuts, just without the hole. I am going to have to try one!!
I don’t think I explained very well. These are actually just like the pies you make with other fillings. You just use sugar and butter as the filling. The sugar firms up a little and the butter is the key ingredient.
You are irresistibly funny. My children are still in their early years of growing, and I’ve decided that having memories of me making these will be just as heartwarming. I hope so anyway.
Oh my Christy! You’ve brought back a ton of good memories to me today. My Mama had 3 mixing bowls just like your little salt crock! I wish I knew what happened to them. Knowing her, they probably ended up at the Goodwill when she moved from MI to FL in the 80s. I wish I still had them.
Too good not to share on Facebook, my memories exactly… all I have to do it change the name to Grandma Keeling.
Now, that lady looks like somebody who can make some fried pies! Your Lela looks a lot my Aunt Eula, who happens to be a world-class fried pie maker. She taught my momma and this recipe is very similar to hers. She always used dried fruit. I think it is more flavorful. Maybe it’s because the sugars are concentrated and somewhat caramelized. She also uses cinnamon in peach pies of every kind. Yum. One of these days I will get brave enough to make some fried pies.
Just made these pies with apple filling with my 4 year old. They didn’t turn out too pretty (added a dusting of powdered sugar to dress em up) but we had a great time and they tasted delicious! Thanks for making a rainy afternoon so fun!
Just made these. My mammaw taught me how to make them and your recipe is excactly the same as hers. They were delicious and I just gained 5 pounds looking at them!
Hello Christy
First let me say that this is the FIRST time ever! I’ve read a RECIPE and CRIED! I mean REAL TEARS! I’ve been searching for a recipe that would even come close to my Granny Jannie Mae Howard’s recipe. I’VE FOUND IT! Thank you for breaking it down for me because my first attempt was a flop. I watched you with Al and read thru the recipe along with you, when you wrote about your Grandma watching you and how you felt her presence, I could totally relate, it brought tears to my eyes,. I’m making those pies for Thanksgiving (Lord willing and the creek don’t rise). I’ll be sure to let you know how it went. Pray for me y’all…”Granny, I’m going for it”.
[...] the way from Alabama If you’d like to see that segment and my recipe for fried peach pies, click here, but come back because I wanna show you this pie, [...]