Apple Dumplings

I had never eaten an apple dumpling, or any kind of dumpling for that matter, but when I saw this post on Krista's Kitchen, I just had to try them!  Growing up, my Grandma always made the pies for our Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations....there was always apple and cherry, and they were amazing!  The crust was flaky and tender, and we all looked forward to them each season.  Well, as Grandma got up there in age (she is 93 today!) she passed over the pie making duties to my mom, but for some reason, my mom could never get the crust to cooperate for her.  So about two years ago, mom gave up on her pie making efforts, usually delegating that task to a guest that would be joining us for the holiday.  This year though, I knew my Aunt Nancy would be making pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving, but I felt that we needed a little bit of variety, so I decided I would make these apple dumplings.

These were actually quite simple to put together, which was surprising to me, since they do start with a pie crust base.  They made made my house smell so good while they baked, with all the apples, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg!  I took these to our Thanksgiving dinner and we ate them with vanilla ice cream and homemade whipped cream, they were quite good!  They tasted a lot like an apple pie, but with the gooeyness on the outside of the crust instead of the inside.  I would try these again, but I felt that they maybe had a bit too much nutmeg or cinnamon in them, giving them a sort of "spicy" flavor.  But the crust was tender and flaky, which if you ask me what makes a good pie, it is all about the crust!

Apple Dumplings

adapted from Krista's Kitchen

For the dumplings:

2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2/3 c. Crisco
1/2 c. milk

Stir together flour and baking powder. Cut in Crisco. Stir in milk to form a soft dough and knead 2-3 times in the bowl until everything sticks together. Roll out to 1/4" thickness on a floured surface. Cut into 6 squares.

Filling:

3-4 baking apples, peeled and cored
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1-2 Tbsp. butter for dotting

Cut apples into large pieces and arrange in the center of each dough square. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Dot with butter. Lightly brush a small amount of water on the edges of the dough. Fold the corners up to the center. Pinch to seal. Transfer to a rectangular baking dish.

Sauce:

2 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Bring the ingredients to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into the dumpling filled baking dish. Bake dumplings at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown.