Peel, core, and chop the apples into small pieces. Melt the butter in a 10-12 inch skillet or Dutch oven. Cook the apples over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until soft. While they cook, sprinkle with brown sugar, granulated sugar, and lemon juice.

Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon, ensuring they don’t burn. Dissolve the cornstarch in about 1/4 cup of cold water and stir it in. Let the mixture cook until it thickens and bubbles around the edges.

Remove from heat and add cinnamon and nutmeg, stirring to combine. Let the pie filling cool completely.

Roll out your biscuit dough or pie crust on a lightly floured surface into 4-6 inch ovals, about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Place about 1 tablespoon of the cooled pie filling in the center of each round.

Fold over and lightly press down on the filling and edges. Lightly wet the edges with water if needed and crimp them with a floured fork. Alternatively, you can freeze them for later use by placing them on a parchment-lined sheet pan and covering loosely with plastic wrap.

Place uncooked pies on a parchment-lined half-sheet pan and refrigerate while heating the oil. Fill a fry pan with 2-3 inches of canola oil and heat to about 370-375°F.

Fry a few hand pies at a time to avoid overcrowding the pan and cooling the oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Sprinkle with granulated sugar or dust with powdered sugar while still warm. Optionally, drizzle with a simple glaze and let dry slightly before handling. Serve warm, delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of warm caramel sauce.