Deep-fried apple pies

Ingredients:

Dough for pies

• 2.5 cups premium flour + extra for dusting
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup margarine, chilled and cut into pieces
• 165 g cold butter, diced
• 4 - 8 tablespoons ice water
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Filling

• 2 Braeburn apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm pieces (about 450g)
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1cm pieces (about 450g)
• 2 tbsp (30 g) butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Less than 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp salt
• A pinch of ground ginger
• A pinch of ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 egg
• Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation:

1. Dough for piesIn a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the margarine and butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the ice water and vinegar, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulse, and combine. Place the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and form into a large disk. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. FillingMelt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then cook the apples, stirring, until they just begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and stir. Add the cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until the apples begin to partially break down (but most of them will still be whole), about 4 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat. Cool the filling completely, about 30 minutes.
3. Half fill a deep saucepan with vegetable oil and heat to 185°C. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 0.3 cm. Cut out eighteen circles with a diameter of 12 cm. If necessary, gather the dough and roll it out again.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of apple filling in the center of each circle. Brush the edges with the egg mixture and fold the dough into a semicircle. Press out any air and seal the edges with a fork. Assemble each pirozhki in the same manner with the remaining filling.
5. Place 4-6 pies at a time in the hot oil and fry until golden brown, turning as needed, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm or at room temperature.
   
   Storage tips
   
   Unfried pirozhki can be frozen for up to 6 months. Fry frozen pirozhki for about 8 minutes. You can also refrigerate the pirozhki for 2 hours before frying.