Kitchen Party: Apricot Fried Pie Recipe & Tutorial

Apricot fried pie recipe, Heather Davulcu, Oh My! Handmade Kitchen Party

an Oh My! Kitchen Party submission by April Heather Davulcu of April Heather Art 

I’ve spent the past 12 years living on the East Coast, and as a native Texan, it’s taken me about 11 to get used to it. In an attempt to connect with home I often made my grandmother’s Apricot Fried Pies, but they always tasted like they were missing something. Over the years I played with the recipe, tweaking and testing, until one day I woke up and realized the pies were perfect—it was me that was missing something. My homesickness was causing me to miss out on the beauty in my own life—and that made those pies taste bittersweet. When I began to look around and appreciate the blessings in my life, rather than wish for something else, I realized home isn’t somewhere you can go—its inside. I make these pies now as a celebration of where I am and where I’ve been and I’ll tell you something, that does taste mighty darn sweet.

Apricot fried pie recipe, Heather Davulcu, Oh My! Handmade Kitchen Party

 

From my grandmother, Vernell Duvall, with the help of Food Network’s “Old Timey Apricot Fried Pie”

  To Make the Crust

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 TBSP powdered sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 TBSP white vinegar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 ¼ sticks butter
  • ¾ cup ice water
  • 1 egg beaten, for egg wash

Place first 5 ingredients in food processor and pulse once. Add butter, while pulsing until dough is the consistency of cornmeal. Then add ice water until dough forms a ball. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes

To Make the Apricot filling:

  • 2 cups dried apricots, diced
  • 1 8 oz jar apricot jam
  • 6 oz water (or apricot nectar)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 TBSP cornstarch mixed with 2 TBSP cold water for thickening
  • dash of vanilla
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • Powdered sugar mixed with water &/ or lemon juice for the glaze

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often, about 10-15 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture and continue to stir as mix thickens. Turn off heat and add vanilla extract. Let cool. (mixture will thicken to consistency of jam)

Making the Pies

  • Now pour vegetable oil in a large heavy bottom skillet and heat to about 360 degrees F.
  • While the oil is heating, flour your counter and remove dough from plastic wrap. Flour a rolling pin and roll out dough to about 1/8 thickness or less. Cut into 5 inch circles. Spoon about 2 TBSP of apricot filling into the center of each circle. Brush edges with water or egg wash, fold over, and seal with your finger first, then a fork.
  • Add pie to hot oil-stand back!-in batches and cook until golden brown, turning in oil as needed. Remove to drain on a draining rack lined with paper towels.
  • Drizzle sugar glaze loosely over the top of the pies and let cool. ENJOY!! They are a real Texas treat!

MamawDuvall, Apricot fried pies recipe, April Heather Davulcu

Here’s my grandmothers original recipe quoted exactly as she wrote it in her handwriting:

 Apricot Fried Pie

Package of apricots, cook in water ‘til tender. Mash & sweeten until you like.

Dough:

  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup shortening

work in until like meal, use water to blend together.

Roll out until ¼ inch thick, use a small bowl to cut circles.

Fill each circle with 1 TBSP apricot + 1 pat of margarine. Seal and fry in hot oil, turning ‘til brown. Do it fast as fast as you can so they don’t burn.

Say hello to Heather! 

Heather Davulcu is the artist behind April Heather Art. Heather started out painting murals in Austin in 1994. She relocated to Bucks County, PA where she now works from her home studio happily creating illustrations and art for licensing. She is married to her college sweetheart and has 2 daughters.

WEBSITE // BLOG // TWITTER // FACEBOOK // PINTEREST  // ETSY 

 

7 comments

  1. I have the distinct pleasure of Heather leaving these on her porch all wrapped up for me to grab on the way home late at night. They are wonderful….full of sweet Texas goodness, just like Heather herself.

    I fell so lucky to have her in my circle…she is so very talented. And these fried pies make her a keeper forever! So happy to see her here!

  2. Linda Marr says:

    I have had the GREAT luck of eating some of Heather’s pies and they are as DELICIOUS as she is — warm, just the right amount of sweetness and melt your heart perfect. YUM!!

  3. Hello Heather. I’m assuming that’s your grandmother in those vintage photos. You look so much like her! How lovely that her recipe reminds you of home and has now turned into a celebration of where you are today.
    Tania

  4. I loved everything watching both shows at once. WOW! It is very impressive, you didn’t miss anything with lots of love for your family and the happiness comes out in the smiles. Your daughter did a wonderful job on the video. I love that it was on fast forward, it made it exciting. Two points that I would add for the next time are that all the clothing colors will be in the same family right down to the kitchen towel in the background. Your kitchen, is your pallet. I hope someday you will switch over to all organic ingredients.

  5. Thank you so very much for the kind words and comments! How fun is this?! Yes, that is my grandmother in those photographs. (I take that as a compliment Tania!) She passed away a few years back, but I think she must be smiling on us now-enjoying her recipe. She could make these with her eyes closed and one arm tied behind her back, while hollering at kiddos! And Gina thank you for your suggestions as well-so sweet of you to watch!

  6. Karen says:

    What a complete and beautifully laid out recipe. The art is incredible and so down home, but I am more excited to actually try to make these homemade pies. My first try. Heather you are a natural!

Comments are closed.