Southern Made Simple

HOMEMADE FIG PIES

BY LAURA TUCKER

Every year in late July, the fig tree behind my mother’s house is chock-full of plump, juicy figs. Ever since I can remember, my mother would make these delicious little fried pies that were stuffed with a sweet fig filling. It was a treat that we’d only get late in the summer each year, so everyone would always be so thrilled to get to savor the flavors of her homemade fig pies when the figs were ripe enough and ready to be eaten.

On the outside, figs really aren’t the prettiest fruit around. But when you cut into them and see the beautiful colors on the inside, you can’t help but want to take a handful and snack away. It’s some of nature’s sweetest candy, and it’s such a treat to get a bucket full of figs on a hot summer day!

I use my mother’s hand pie recipe with just about any kind of fruit, so if figs aren’t something you have in your area, you can improvise a little and use apples, plums, mixed berries, etc. You really can’t go wrong with a fruit-filled fried pie!

To keep things simple, I usually take a shortcut and use a can of refrigerated biscuits for the dough. You can certainly make a dough from scratch if you prefer!

HOMEMADE FIG PIES

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Ingredients: 3 cups fresh figs, stems removed and diced 1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 8-count can jumbo buttermilk biscuits

Instructions:

In a medium-sized skillet, combine the figs, orange juice, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar and flour. Bring this to a boil and cook for roughly 2-3 minutes, or until the figs are good and tender and all of the sugar and flour has dissolved and the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Lightly flour your countertop or a large cutting board and roll out each biscuit dough section using a rolling pin. Scoop a small spoonful onto the center of each flattened biscuit. Be careful not to put too much filling onto each,

because it can squish out of the sides when you try to fold it over. Gently fold the biscuit in half over the filling and crimp the ends together using the prongs of a fork.

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 350 F. I recommend starting with one pie at first as a test run to make sure your cook time is perfect. I typically cook mine for about 2 minutes until the dough is cooked all the way through. Test your first one to make sure your dough is cooked properly. Pies should be beautifully golden brown and flaky on the outside. You can also cook these on the stovetop in a frying pan, just make sure your oil is good and hot!

Once they come out of the fryer, let them sit on a paper towel on a plate to soak up any excess grease. You can sprinkle a smidge of powdered sugar on top and serve with a glass of milk, or serve it with a scoop of Bluebell ice cream on top. These southern fried fig hand pies are truly a scrumptious summertime treat!

Enjoy!

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