Ingredients:

4 Cups Flour Tortilla Mix

3/4 cup Crisco (or vegetable shortening)

3/4 cup warm water

Instructions:

Add flour tortilla mix to large bowl. Create a well in the middle. Add vegetable shortening and warm water and mix together until all ingredients are combined. Divide into 2 balls and wrap with parchment, or wax paper. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove from refrigerator and form balls the size of large walnuts. Lightly dust a pastry mat with flour. Roll each ball into a 6” circle. Place a large spoonful of pie filling in the middle of the dough circle. Fold over into a half moon shape and press the edges together with your fingers. Using a fork dusted with flour, press down all edges of pie. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Use a small parchment or wax paper square in front and behind each pie (2 pieces per pie). (This helps in picking the pie up to put into frying pot and prevents you from tearing the pie up). Let pies rest for at least half hour before frying. This also helps pie from coming open and filling spilling out in oil.

Pre-heat large heavy duty pot or boiler before adding oil. By pre-heating the pot, the oil starts to heat faster. Depending on the pot, this usually takes about 3 - 5 minutes. Add enough oil to fill the pot half full. Heat oil to about 375 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test the oil with a small piece of dough. If the dough immediately rises to top of oil, the oil is hot enough to start frying pies. Pies only take about 4 minutes to cook; gently turn pie over after about 2 minutes. Remove and drain on rack. (Line baking sheets with paper towel or parchment prior to frying). Once you start frying, you won’t be able to do this as the pies fry up very quickly. NOTE: oil will cool off if you’re frying a lot of pies, so you may need to heat it a bit between frying to bring back up to temp. If oil isn’t hot enough, pies will be soaked in oil.