Fried Pies

Ingredients

• sun-dried peaches
• water
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• lemon peel, grated
• cloves
• ginger
• short paste
• fat
• sugar

Instructions

1. To be perfect these must be made of sun-dried peaches, very bright and sweet, but any sort of sound dried fruit will serve at a pinch.
2. Soak overnight after washing in three waters.
3. Simmer five hours in the soaking water, with a plate to hold the fruit under.
4. Mash and sweeten while hot, adding spices to taste — cinnamon, nutmeg and grated lemon peel for apples; cloves and ginger, a bare zest, for peaches or apricots.
5. Roll out short paste into rounds the size of a small plate.
6. Cover one-half with the fruit, fold over the empty half, pinch well together around the edges.
7. Fry in deep fat, blazing hot, to a rich quick brown on both sides.
8. Drain on paper napkins, sprinkling lightly with sugar. Serve hot or cold.