Fried Pie Pi

by swallace573 in Cooking > Dessert

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Fried Pie Pi

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Fried pies are a classic Southern dessert. I've decided to take it a step further, making fried pie pi. And what could make a fried pie pi better than ever? By combining it with another delicious dessert: doughnuts! Instead of using the usual pie crust to hold in the pie filling, I fried up doughnuts and injected the filling in. In the spring mood, I used strawberry pie filling, but this can be done with any kind.

Ingredients:

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Dough:
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (approximately 25 ounces), divided
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup water
2 packages instant yeast
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 quarts canola oil, for frying

Filling:
2 cups fresh strawberries, mashed
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

Prepare the Dough

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In a large bowl, mix 5 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

Rinse bowl of stand mixer in warm water to take away the chill. Oil large bowl with cooking spray or vegetable oil and set aside.

Warm milk and water in a small saucepan until mixture reaches approximately 110 to 115°F. Pour warmed milk mixture in the bowl of stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast evenly over liquid mixture and then sprinkle remaining tablespoon of sugar on top. Let dissolve for 5 minutes.

Fit stand mixer with paddle attachment and slowly incorporate melted butter (butter should be cooled to lukewarm). Add the eggs, vanilla, and half of the flour mixture beat on low speed to incorporate flour mixture then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined. Add the remaining flour mixture, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well. Change to the dough hook attachment then beat on medium until dough comes together. Add additional 1/2 cup flour to dough, as needed, to smooth out dough. Beat until dough begins to pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer dough to a well-oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Set in a warm place and let rise until doubled in size, approximately one hour.

Prepare the Filling

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Combine strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until sufficiently thickened. Cool completely.

Cut Out Your Pi

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Turn out dough on a well floured surface and roll out to 1/2" thickness. Using a sharp knife, cut out your preferred sizes of pi. Carefully transfer pi to greased baking sheet or squares of tin foil.

Fry Your Pi

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Pour canola oil into a large dutch oven to a depth of 2 inches. Heat oil to 360°F. Once oil reaches the proper temperature, carefully drop a pi into the oil. If using greased tin foil squares, drop in dough-side down. Cook until a dark golden brown, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, then using heat resistant tongs turn the doughnuts. Once both sides are done, transfer to a wire rack for cooling.

Inject Your Filling

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Using an injector tip and pastry bag, inject cooled filling into the pi. It helps to use the tip to make cavities in the different legs of pi before injecting. You should be able to slightly see the filling through the dough as it will get slightly darker.

Optional Glazing

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You can glaze your pie with a mixture of one cup confectioners sugar mixed with approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of whole milk, or liberally sprinkle with just confectioners sugar. And enjoy!