Half-moon pastry fried in lard. The ancestor of the McDonald's apple pie — the original recipe traced to Black woman Lillie Mae Richard of Knoxville, TN.
Fried hand pies are field food — portable, self-contained, no fork needed. They were made at home and sold at church fairs and roadside stands. The direct line from this tradition to the McDonald's apple pie is real: Lillie Mae Richard of Knoxville submitted the original fried pie concept to McDonald's in the early 1960s, and the fast-food empire built a product line on it.
Fried hand pies are high in refined carbohydrates and frying fats. Peach filling provides modest vitamin C and potassium. The fruit is the nutritional bright spot; the fried pastry shell is the caloric load. A small hand pie (4-5 oz) runs 350-450 calories.
The pastry dough should be made with lard or shortening for flakiness — butter alone won't hold through frying. Roll thin (1/8 inch) or the center will be doughy before the outside browns. Seal edges firmly with a fork crimp or the filling escapes. Fry at 350°F in batches — crowding drops oil temperature. Drain on a rack.
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