McDonalds style fried apple pie recipe

This recipe, using apples from South Africa, is a home-made tribute to a fast-food classic, the McDonald’s deep fried apple pie. 
This hand pie consists of apple purée with a tender chunks of apple, hints of cinnamon spice and crispy flaky pastry on the outside, I had something similar when I ate at April Bloomfield’s restaurant, Salvation Burger, in New York earlier this year. At McDonald’s it came in a handy cardboard box and if you were wise, you’d tentatively nibble away at the corner, to test the temperature before diving in. It could be mouth burningly hot on the inside.
I’ve used two kinds of South African apple, the sweet Pink Lady and crisp and tart Granny Smith.
I’ve created a recipe for a home made McDonald’s style apple pie with a twist, a custard flavour, which you can fry or bake, depending on how indulgent you feel. This recipe originally appeared in Metro. 

McDonald’s custard apple pie recipe

Makes four pies

2 Pink Lady apples, peeled and cored, diced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, diced
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
2 tbsps of brown sugar
A pinch of salt
3 tbsps of custard powder (Birds and Orgran custard powder is vegan)
1 tbsp of plain flour for dusting
320g box of ready rolled puff pastry, cut into four rectangles
Groundnut oil for frying
3 tbsps icing sugar for dusting
1 tsp ground cinnamon for dusting
1 egg, for wash or vegan option, use a non dairy milk.

1. In a bowl mix the apples with the cinnamon, sugar, salt. 
2. Place the apple mixture into a medium saucepan and simmer, adding the custard powder. 
3. Cook until the apple chunks are tender but not too mushy. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
4. Dust a clean surface with flour and remove the puff pastry from the packet. Unfurl it and cut it into four equal sized rectangles. 
5. Scoop a couple of tablespoons of the cooled apple mixture into half of each pastry rectangle.
6. Brush the edges of the pastry rectangles with water and fold in half, pressing down the edges with the tines of a fork.
7. Using a frying pan, add a shallow layer of ground nut oil, heat until the oil is between 180 and 190ºc.
8. Place each rectangle in the oil and fry for 3  to 5 minutes each side until golden brown.
9. Remove and place on kitchen paper to drain. 
10. Then dust with icing sugar and more ground cinnamon if you wish.
11. You can serve this as a snack, for breakfast or as dessert with a scoop of vanilla icecream.

Baking instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200ºc after step 2 above.
After step 7, to get that golden glow, brush the tops with egg yolk mixed with a drop or two of milk. Or, if you are vegan, brush with some non dairy milk.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove and sieve icing sugar over the pies.