Fried Pies, Chess Pie and Egg Custard Pie

MEMOIR Fried Pies, Chess Pie and Egg Custard Pie ________________________________________Sidney Savior Farr 1 was born in a log cabin on Coon Branch, and my parents bought a boundary of land on Stoney Fork of Straight Creek, in Bell County, Kentucky. Father built a three-room log house where the old house used to stand. This land had been the site of an old home place, but the buildings were long gone. Left were apple, peach and pear trees. The trees were very old, bent and gnarled, but grew all around us, edging the yard, by the sulfur spring where we got our drinking water and over in a narrow strip of meadow. We lived there for eight years, our seasons filled with fruit trees and flowers. In the summer and fall, wehad a plentiful variety ofapples. Mother fried and canned, made apple butter andjelly, and dried apples to make fried apple pies and dried apple stack cakes. Our most favorite of all pies on Stoney Fork was fried pies. Fried pies are the perfect dessert following a meal of thick vegetable soup, skillet cornbread and wilted lettuce salad. Fried Apple Pie 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt Vi cup sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 4 tablespoons lard or butter 2 eggs 1 can evaporated milk (13 oz.) Spiced, cooked apples; applesauce; or cook dried apples Sweetened to taste Brown or powdered sugar Combine flour, salt, sugar andbakingpowder and cut inshortening. Beat eggs and evaporated milk. Add to first mixture. Mix well and let stand overnight in refrigerator. Take out a small amount of dough at a time, and add enough flour to make dough stiff. Roll out to size of a big saucer. Spread half of dough with sweetened apples. Wet edge of 75 dough with water, and fold over to form half rounds. Seal edges with tines of a fork. Fry in a heavy skillet in deep fat over low heat until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and then sprinkle with brown or powdered sugar. They are best if eaten hot, but are still good if left for awhile. Other Fried Pie Fillings Dough: 2 cups flour 2 tablespoons lard or butter 1 teaspoon baking powder 1A teaspoon salt Just enough milk to make stiff dough Dried peaches, jam or apricot filling Powdered Sugar Sift dry ingredients. Add shortening and work with fingers as for pie crust. Add milk slowly to make dough stiffbut not too dry. Roll out on floured board until dough is very thin. Then outline a 4-inch saucer to make perfect rounds and cut out with a knife. Place 1 tablespoon of dried peaches, jam or apricot filling on one half the circle, leaving a bare space half an inch from the edge. Fold over the edges of dough, pinching together, fluting and sealing. Into a skillet place fresh lard or butter (for 4 pies, allow 3 teaspoons). Have the melted lard or butter hot at first, then reduce heat. When one side is browned, turn with a pancake turner and brown on the other side, adding more shortening if necessary. Lift from the skillet with pancake turner, dust heavily with powdered sugar, and run the pies under broiler to make a glaze. Best served hot, but still good if left for awhile. When I researched recipes for my first cookbook, More than Moonshine, I first began with women in the community where I grew up. My mother and other cooks on Stoney Fork usually were good cooks but, as one ofthem said when I was trying to get a favorite recipe, "I never use recipes, I guess I just cook by ear!" I found that I had to stand by to measure every "pinch" and "handful" before I was able to repeat some of their dishes. Chess Pie and Egg Custard Pie were sure to be served at every church supper and other gatherings. Chess Pie has its origin shrouded in mystery. Was it named for a person? Or is it a corruption of the 76 Welsh or English Cheese Cake, which is not a cake at all, but a pie? Chess Pie contains no cheese, the filling being made of eggs...