4 soft ripe fresh persimmons, peeled and roughly chopped
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Piecrust (recipe follows)
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
In a large saucepan, bring persimmons and water to cover to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until softened and falling apart, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain persimmons, and return to pan. Mash persimmons with a fork or potato masher. (You can use a blender or an immersion blender for a smoother filling, if desired.) Stir in brown sugar, melted butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, and ginger. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is melted and ingredients are combined, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool for 10 minutes.
Let Piecrust stand at room temperature until slightly softened, about 15 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough to ⅛-inch thickness. Using a 4½-inch round cutter, cut dough, rerolling scraps only once.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush edges of dough rounds with egg wash. Place about 1 tablespoon filling in center of each. Fold dough over filling. Crimp from center to edges, gently pressing in any filling as you go. Crimp with the tines of a fork. Freeze for 20 minutes.
In a large Dutch oven, pour oil to a depth of 1½ inches, and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360°. Place paper towels on a wire rack.
Fry hand pies in batches until golden brown, 2 to 2½ minutes per side. Carefully remove from hot oil, and let drain on prepared rack. Serve warm.
Recipe by Louisiana Cookin' at https://louisianacookin.com/persimmon-fried-hand-pies/