Apple Dumplings

February 10, 2006 By: Mita Category: Pies & Tarts, Recipes

For a change, I decided to stray from the usual Apple Pie and made some Apple Dumpings using Rome apples a few weeks ago. This was my first time to cook with Rome apples and I was pretty impressed with how the apples held up in the baking process. I love the way it retained it’s shape and didn’t turn mushy like some apples will. And I loved the way the apple turned a bit translucent after baking. I really should have taken a photo of the inside of the dumpling to show how lovely the apples turned out. I’ll do it next time.

Here’s the recipe:

Crust:

2 c. flour; 2/3 c. shortening

1 tsp. salt

8-12 tbsps iced water

Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Add shortening and cut into the flour with two table knives until you get smaller than pea-sized particles. A pastry cutter just won’t do IMO. It mushes up the shortening into the flour too much. You want the shortening to cut into the flour.

Add iced water a tablespoon at a time using the two knives to mix it lightly into the flour. The amount of water required for this process depends on a lot of things: altitude, humidity and the flour you use. I need more than the usual amount of water because of the dry conditions in Colorado. What you’re looking for is very little dry flour at the bottom of the bowl and your dough coming lightly together.

Pick up the dough and transfer to a lightly-floured board. Gather into a ball, handling sparingly to ensure a nice flaky crust. Divide into four and keep individually wrapped in fridge and start with your apples.

Start pre-heating your oven to 350F.

Apple Stuffing:

4 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced

dash of cinammon and nutmeg

1 tbsp. sugar

handful of raisins (optional)

Mix the ingredients together and set aside.

Meanwhile, roll out the crusts into 6-inch rounds. Put the apples in the middle and gather edges to the top to form a pouch. Pinch to seal.

Set all four dumplings in a baking dish.

The Sauce:

1.5 c. sugar

1.5 c. water

dash of cinammon and nutmeg

couple drops red food coloring

3 tbsps. butter

Boil all ingredients together for about 5 minutes and then pour over the dumplings. Bake the dumplings for about 45-55 minutes or until golden brown. Baste the dumplings with the sauce occassionally.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.