Chocolate Fried Pies

Pudding:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 t salt
• 4 eggs
• 4 cups milk:
• 2 T oleo
• 2 t vanilla

Mix dry ingredients; add milk and cook to almost boiling point (will thicken). Beat eggs; add small amount of hut mixture to eggs then ‘transfer all to hot mixture while stirring constantly. Cook about 2 minutes more. Add oleo and vanilla. Set aside.

Crust:

• 4 cups flour,
• 1/4 cups sugar’
• 1 t salt
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 1/4 cup milk

Sift flour', salt, sugar, and baking powder. Cut in shortening. Add milk to make dough. Using half of dough, roll to pie crust thickness.

To make pies, heat oil or Crisco in frying pan to about 1" depth. It is hot enough when a pinch of flour browns in a few seconds. Place about 2 T of pudding 2 to 3" from edge of crust. Fold dough gently over pudding. Then, using a saucer on edge, cut through dough just missing pudding inside. Edge should be sealed.

Drop in hot oil and cook until lightly brown. Turn and finish cooking. Remove to a paper towel to drain excess oil. Place on platter and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Do not break crust of pie while frying – the pudding pops badly in the oil. Remove any that does come out before frying next pie. Fry only one pie at a time until you think you can handle more.