It’s been eons since I’ve been on a picnic. Well, eons may be stretching it a little. It has been a decade or two. We used to pack a picnic back when we had a boat and went water skiing. We headed out early in the morning and spent the day on the lake with friends. After a morning of skiing we would find a quiet spot to tie off or drop anchor and have lunch. We had sandwiches, chips, and some sort of sweet treat. I think back to those days and wonder why I didn’t bring any Southern Fried Apricot Hand Pies.
I dream often of those summer days on the lake. The fun we had crops up in my mind even while I sleep. It is probably the comfort of water. I remember the gentle rocking of the boat as we rested after our lunch. Summer and picnics go hand in hand. It’s no surprise July is National Picnic Month. I was all in when Gallo Family Vineyards invited Sunday Supper tastemakers to share our favorite picnic foods.
Southern Fried Apricot Hand Pies are picnic food. Them being hand pies pretty much fits in the category without a doubt. Utensils are not needed for eating them. They are small enough to be easily packed and the right size for an individual dessert. Plus their sweet fruity flavor is summery too.
How to make the hand pies? Boil dried apricots until soft then mash them with sugar, butter, and cinnamon. I use a food processor to do the mashing. Put the filling on rounds of pie crust dough, fold them over, seal with a fork, and deep fry until golden brown. Yes, deep fry them. It is a tad on the indulgent side. A little deep fried indulgence is nice every now and then.
Which wines to pair with the hand pies? Gallo Family Vineyards Merlot has stone fruit flavor to complement apricot. It also doesn’t require chilling and can go right in the basket with the pies. Bringing a cooler? Pack their Moscato or White Zinfandel because both of them have stone fruit flavors too. Take a look at Gallo’s National Picnic Month blog post for more tips and inspiration.
More on Gallo Family Vineyards: Follow them on social media to keep up the latest on the company, vineyards, and their wines. Here are quick links to GFV’s profiles: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Their website has lots of information on Gallo Family Vineyards wines plus wine pairing notes and a handy store locator.
Southern Fried Apricot Hand Pies
Ingredients
- 6 ounces dried apricots
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 packages refrigerated pie crusts
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
-
Place apricots in a saucepan and cover with at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Cook until apricots have softened, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain apricots.
-
Place warm apricots, sugar, butter, and cinnamon in a food processor fitted with a knife blade. Process until combined and mixture looks like jam.
-
Cut pie crusts into 4- to 5-inch rounds.
-
Place about 1 tablespoon of apricot filling on each round. Moisten edges with water.
-
Fold rounds in half and press edges together with a fork.
-
Pour enough oil into a large cast iron skillet or sauté pan to be about 1-inch deep.
-
Heat oil to 375°F.
-
Fry pies a few at a time until golden brown, turning once or twice while frying for even browning. Transfer pies to a platter or baking sheet lined with paper towels.
-
Add more oil to the skillet if needed between batches.
Recipe Notes
Leftover apricot filling can be used the same as preserves or jam. Keep chilled in a sealed container.
Are you going picnicking soon? Check out these picnic recipes by Sunday Supper tastemakers and pairings with Gallo Family Vineyards wines:
Picnic Appetizers:
- 10 Deviled Egg Variations by Sunday Supper Movement
- Thai Spiced Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Sauce by Soni’s Food
Picnic Main Dishes:
- Baked or Grilled Tandoori Chicken Legs by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- BBQ Pulled Pork Picnic Sandwiches by Family Foodie
- Creamy Pesto Chicken Sandwiches by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
- French Ham and Butter Sandwich (Jambon Buerre) by Shockingly Delicious
- Grilled Honey Chicken Kabobs by Life Tastes Good
- Italian Hoagie Style Pressed Picnic Sandwiches by Feed Me, Seymour
- Kimbap (Korean ‘Sushi’) by Curious Cuisiniere
- Picnic Sandwich Torte by Palatable Pastime
Picnic Salads and Sides:
- BLT Panzanella Salad by Casa de Crews
- Cold Chinese Peanut Noodles by Recipes Food and Cooking
- Lemon Chicken Penne Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Mason Jar Salmon Nicoise Salad by Simply Healthy Family
Picnic Sweets and Desserts:
- Banana Pudding Cups by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Blueberry Crumb Bars by Alida’s Kitchen
- Blueberry Peach Snack Cake by Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Key Lime Cheesecake Crumb Bars by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
- Lemon Meringue Pie in a Jar by Desserts Required
- Simple Strawberry Pie by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Southern Fried Apricot Hand Pies by Magnolia Days
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.
Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.
Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
Wow those look amazing! If they’re deep-fried they have to be good 🙂
Nichole says
A summer picnic after boating sounds pretty amazing, These hand pies look equally as amazing (and tasty)!
Constance Smith says
I adore these!
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
Can you believe I’ve never been water skiing or had fried pies? Must remedy both situations!
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers says
Your hand pies look out of this world! I love it and it looks so simple too! Gorgeous photos!
Bobbi from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen says
These look fabulous Renee! I have been craving pie, this is the perfect way for me to make them 1 person size 🙂
Cindys Recipes and Writings says
Deep fried pie sounds like my kind of dessert!
Mary Ellen says
Just gorgeous! these are a perfect picnic dessert…..Now I just need a glass of Moscato.
[email protected] says
I’m great at making pies, but I definitely want to give this a try! Yummmm
[email protected] says
That is I’m NOT great at making pies haha Hopefully I can pull these off. They sure look delish!
Soni says
I’ve never had these before and craving them so bad right now!Think I’ll have to make them myself since they look absolutely delicious!
Betsy @ Desserts Required says
Summer and picnics do go hand in hand and there will be three of these pies in each of my hands!
Gwen @SimplyHealthyFamily says
I don’t think I’ve ever baked w apricots. I’ll have to remedy that and make this sooner than later! So cute and fun and I’m sure delicious!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
You took me right back to some fun water skiing vacations with your memory. Wonderful recipe! I am so happy to cook along with you for this #SundaySupper picnic.
Stephanie Roberts says
My husband’s mom used to make these for him when he was growing up. She passed away before I could get her recipe. Now, after 29 years of marriage, I found your recipe and I made fried apricot hand pies for him for the first time! And he loved them! He’s 54 years old and it was like he was a kid again. They were absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Katie Moseman says
That is a wonderful story! So happy the recipe brought joy to you & your husband. Thank you for giving it a try!
Sylvia says
My mother n law had a huge apricot tree and taught me how to make apricot hand pies.
She used to pack them in a shoe box and give them to my husband/her son for his Birthday! That was over 55 years ago!
Still love them today and the memories!
Lovely recipe!!
Joan says
I can’t wait to make these. I always asked my mom for these fried pies instead of a birthday cake. She made them, so delicious. The only problem is my dad always talked me out of half of them!!! I cant wait to make these. Sweet memories.
Katie Moseman says
That’s lovely, Joan. Thanks for stopping by!