Fried Shells with Caramelized Apples
These Fried Shells with Caramelized Apples are similar to apple hand pies as they consist of a spiced apple mixture enveloped in flaky pastry. The process of making the dough results in an incredibly crisp, buttery, and flaky pastry that is melt-in-your-mouth. These pastries make the most wonderful fall dessert with a hot beverage such as tea, coffee, or even spiced apple cider. The process of making them involves cooking the apples with butter, coconut sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, cornstarch, and salt before being set aside to cool. Then, a dough is made with flour, sugar, salt, water, and oil in a bowl before resting it for 30 minutes and cutting it into portions to shape into balls. Next, you make a second dough with just flour and butter, and then shape it into balls. These doughs get combined in a few detailed steps before being filled with the apple mixture and fried in hot oil. These will be simply irresistible in the fall when apples are in season.
What are Fried Shells with Caramelized Apples?
These fried shells with caramelized apples are unique desserts involving two types of dough and a spiced apple mixture. The first dough includes oil and no butter while the second is made with just flour and butter. Then, they are combined to produce pastry that is flakier than traditional pie pastry.
A similar recipe to this is apple hand pies, which are basically individual-sized apple pies that can be baked or fried. However, hand pies only include traditional pie pastry rather than two types of dough as this one does.
These fried shells will be perfect to serve after apple picking on a crisp fall day alongside a hot beverage.
Pro Tips
- Use firm-fleshed apples that won’t become mushy during cooking. Possibilities include Mcintosh, Cortland, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Royal Gala, and more.
- When heating the oil for frying on the stove, make sure you don’t fill it right to the top as you don’t want it to overflow when you add the pastries.
- If you fry the pastries in batches, you may need to allow the oil to reheat in between batches to ensure it is hot enough.
- For serving, feel free to dust the fried shells with some icing sugar. These would also be great with scoops of vanilla ice cream.
- If you don’t have cinnamon on hand, the apple filling would also be delicious with pumpkin spice or some nutmeg.
- When you remove the fried shells from the hot oil, a slotted metal spoon or a spider utensil is a great tool.
- You can set the pastries on a metal rack set over a baking sheet so the excess oil can drain off before you serve them.
What to Serve with Fried Shells with Caramelized Apples?
These tasty desserts are best served hot with hot coffee or tea on the side. However, you may also serve them with a dusting of powdered sugar for added sweetness or some ice cream.
What Temperature Should the Fried Shells be Fried at?
The best temperatures to fry the pastries at are 180°C/350°F to 190°C/375°F. This will ensure that the pastries cook through evenly before becoming too brown.
How Long Can You Store Fried Shells with Caramelized Apples?
These fried shells are best served the day they are fried but you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days if you would like to keep them for longer.
How Can I Vary the Fried Shells?
If you would like to make the fried shells with apples a little more special, you could roll them in cinnamon sugar once they have been fried. Cinnamon sugar is always a wonderful pairing with apple desserts.
Can I Add a Glaze to the Fried Shells with Caramelized Apples?
Yes, you definitely can! Simply mix some icing sugar with enough milk or lemon juice to give it a glaze consistency. Then, you can drizzle it over the fried shells and allow it to set before serving.
More Apple Hand Desserts to Try!
How to Store Fried Shells with Caramelized Apples
While these are best eaten the day they are made, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days if you have leftovers.
Ingredients
How to Make Fried Shells with Caramelized Apples
Cook the apples in butter in a skillet until soft.
Cook the apples in butter in a skillet until soft.
Stir in the coconut sugar, salt, cinnamon, lemon juice, and cornstarch, and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the coconut sugar, salt, cinnamon, lemon juice, and cornstarch, and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat.
For the first dough, stir the flour with the sugar and salt until combined.
For the first dough, stir the flour with the sugar and salt until combined.
Stir in the water and oil, and knead it into a smooth dough.
Stir in the water and oil, and knead it into a smooth dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Cut the dough into 10 equal-sized pieces and shape them into balls.
Cut the dough into 10 equal-sized pieces and shape them into balls.
For the second dough, mix the flour with the butter until a smooth dough is formed.
For the second dough, mix the flour with the butter until a smooth dough is formed.
Divide the second dough into 10 portions and shape them into balls.
Divide the second dough into 10 portions and shape them into balls.
To assemble, flatten a ball from the first dough and place a ball of the second dough on top.
To assemble, flatten a ball from the first dough and place a ball of the second dough on top.
Wrap the flattened dough around the dough ball in the centre.
Wrap the flattened dough around the dough ball in the centre.
Roll the dough out into a flat layer.
Roll the dough out into a flat layer.
Roll the dough out into a flat layer.
Roll the dough out into a flat layer.
Roll the dough up.
Roll the dough up.
Roll the dough out into a flat layer and then roll it up again.
Roll the dough out into a flat layer and then roll it up again.
Cut each portion in half and roll each half out into a circle.
Cut each portion in half and roll each half out into a circle.
Fill each circle of dough with some of the apple mixture and fold to enclose, pinching the edges to seal.
Fill each circle of dough with some of the apple mixture and fold to enclose, pinching the edges to seal.
Fry the pastries in batches until golden.
Fry the pastries in batches until golden.
Serve immediately.
Serve immediately.
;Resize,width=712;)
;Resize,width=767;)
