A tasty dessert recipe from Grits & Groceries, an eclectic Southern soul food restaurant in South Carolina.
While filming in South Carolina for the “Travels with Darley: Southern Road Trip” episode we visited Grits & Groceries, a restaurant that many a SC local had recommended we seek out. Located in Belton, about twenty minutes from Anderson and 45 minutes from Greenville, this restaurant is worth the drive.
Husband and wife team Joe and Heidi Trull cook up eclectic soul food, including some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever tried and a variety of tasty homemade desserts. I was able to chat and eat with Heidi, a fellow horse lover whose horses are right on site. Heidi agreed to share the recipe for the Fried Apple Pie we devoured on our visit. Enjoy! And check out photos below to see more yummy food photos from our visit.
Apple Fried Pie Recipe (8-10 pies)
Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 cup lard
- ¾ – 1 cup ice water
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 cups granulated sugar
Dough Preperation
Mix together flour and salt using a pastry whisk or your fingers. Rub lard into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. Add water ¼ cup at a time until the dough comes together but is not too sticky. Shape into a disk and wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour. (the dough will keep a couple days in the refrigerator.)
Apple Filling
- 6 Granny Smith apples zest of lemon
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons Steens pur cane syrup
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons of your favorite Bourbon
Next Steps: Fried Apple Pie
On a floured surface roll half the dough into a circle about 1/8 inch thick and cut into circles 6 inches across. The lid from a large coffee or plastic container will work well. Repeat with remaining dough. Gently form trimmed parts into a ball and reroll and cut rounds until you have 10 circles. Mix one egg and a teaspoon of water into a wash then with a pastry brush coat the outer edge of the circle. Place ¼ cup of the apple filling in the center then carefully fold the dough together over the filling making sure no filling touches the rim of the dough. Crimp the edges together firmly to make a seam across the top of the filling. In a deep fat fryer heat oil to 350 degrees and gently fry pies a few at a time leaving room for them to float freely in the oil. Cook the pies for 8-9 minutes, until dough is crisp and lightly browned. Remove to paper towels and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve warm with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.
