Fried Apple Tarts

Ingredients

Courtesy of Vicki Morrsion
Start-to-finish: 2 hours
For the pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lard or vegetable shortening
2-3 tablespoons ice water
(Alternate method: use canned biscuits instead of making dough)
For the filling:
3 cups dried apples or 4 cups fresh apples
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice or 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preparation

To make the pastry, combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Cut into lard or shortening until mixture resembles course meal. Sprinkle ice water over mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly with a fork until dough forms a ball. Wrap ball with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

To make the filling, cook fruit in boiling water for 30 minutes or until tender. Cool and stir in sugar and spices.

To assemble the tarts, separate the dough into desired sizes (for  larger or smaller tarts) and roll into a flat oval. Fill one half with fruit, leaving room around the edges, and fold the other side over. The end result will look like a half circle. Crimp edges with a fork and deep fry at 375 F until golden brown.