Ingredients
Dough
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups shortening
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup cold water
Filling
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained
- 8 ounces unsweetened apple butter approximately; mine contained cinnamon
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar approximately; adjust to taste
- salt to taste
- cinnamon to taste, only if using apple butter without cinnamon
For Frying and Finishing
- neutral frying oil such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil
- powdered sugar for dusting
Equipment
- Knife or pastry cutter
- Pot suitable for frying
- Frying thermometer
- Slotted spoon
- Paper towel-lined tray
Method
- Add the flour, shortening, and dough sugar to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly add the cold water while pulsing until a dough begins to form. Turn onto the counter and gently knead just until it comes together. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Add the drained chickpeas and approximately 8 ounces of apple butter to the food processor. Add granulated sugar and salt to taste; I used about ¼ cup sugar. If your apple butter does not contain cinnamon, add cinnamon to taste. Process until mostly smooth but with a little texture remaining. The filling should be thick, like cream cheese. Taste and adjust the sweetness and seasoning.
- Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the chilled dough approximately ⅛ inch thick and cut into roughly 2-inch squares.
- Place a small spoonful of filling in the center of each square. Fold into a triangle or rectangle. Press the edges firmly together, then seal with the tines of a fork. Do not overfill.
- Heat the frying oil to approximately 350°F. Fry the pastries in batches for 3–5 minutes per batch, turning occasionally, until both sides are golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray.
- Dust with powdered sugar while still warm. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Yield is an estimate of 40–50 pastries, depending on size. I made at least 20 using half or less of the dough; I did not count a complete batch.
- Fry for 3–5 minutes per batch at approximately 350°F. Total frying time depends on the number of batches and has not been recorded.
- The apple butter amount is approximate. I used unsweetened apple butter that already contained cinnamon and did not add extra cinnamon.
- I used about ¼ cup sugar in the filling. Adjust to your taste; my mom remembers a less-sweet version growing up. The pastries are also finished with powdered sugar.
- The filling should be thick, like cream cheese, with a little chickpea texture. Cream cheese is not an ingredient.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
- This is my family’s reconstruction from handwritten notes and testing, not an exact transcription of the card or a claim to an official regional recipe.