1 pound (2 large) Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 pound (2 large) Honeycrisp apples—peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
½ cup raisins
¼ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
All-purpose flour, for dusting
2 batches flaky piecrust
Apple filling
Water, for brushing
Vegetable oil, for frying
Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish
Directions
Make the filling: In a 6-quart Dutch oven, combine the apples, sugar, apple cider and cinnamon sticks over medium-high heat. Cook until the apples have softened and the mixture has thickened into a gel, 18 to 20 minutes. Stir in the remaining filling ingredients to incorporate, then let cool completely.
Make the hand pies: On a clean and floured work surface, roll out the piecrusts, one at a time, until ⅙ inch thick. Using a 5¼-inch round cutter, cut out circles of the dough. You should get 8 circles of dough per piecrust.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of the apple filling in each circle and brush half of the outer rim of the dough with water. Fold the dough in half to form a crescent, using a fork to crimp the edges. Refrigerate until ready to fry.
In a 6-quart Dutch oven, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 350º and line a plate with paper towels. Working in batches, fry the hand pies, flipping once, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the prepared plate to drain.
Let cool slightly, then garnish with confectioners' sugar and serve.