This morning I really needed to get busy working on those two bushels of apples that need to be made into sauce. But, I decided to make apple dumplings first.
Several years ago when we lived in California, my friends Cathy and Dore and I were hosting a women's Bible study/dinner/craft night. Since it was fall we decided to decorate with pumpkins and carry the fall theme to our dinner too. After we planned the menu, we divided up the menu items between us. I volunteered to make the apple dumplings. I realized that I had never made them or eaten them, but they sounded so good and I had plenty of time to figure out a recipe. I won't bore you with all the details, but I tried dozens of recipes that were just horrible. I was down to just two days before the dinner and I still didn't have a recipe for apple dumplings that was acceptable. I begged for Bob's help and he came to my rescue. We gleaned from several of the recipes, added our own ideas and came up with this apple dumpling recipe that has been a hit ever since.
The first step is to make the syrup. Place 1 3/4 cups water, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon in a pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer while you prepare the apples. Add 1-2 Tablespoons margarine while simmering. This recipe is for six small apples.
Core and peel the apples. I now have an apple corer, but when I first made the recipe I just cut the apples in half to core them and then put them back together and wrapped them in the dough. It worked just fine. To make the dough, I use three cups unbleached white flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1 cup butter flavored Crisco. Mix until crumbly and then add enough cold water to form ball. You don't want it too wet and sticky. If you prefer, you can buy prepared pie crust at the store and use that. (it won't be as good though)
Roll out the dough in a rectangle and cut in squares big enough to wrap one apple. Roll the apple in a mixture of 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Then place the apple on the pie dough square.
Take all four corners and tuck them into the center of the apple.
Take the flaps that remain and fold them to the side of the apple. 
The apple with the dough on it will look something like this.
A neater way to wrap the apple is to fold two opposite ends of the dough up over the apple and tuck the dough in the center of the apple. Then fold the other to ends in towards the center and pull them up and tuck inside the apple. Either way works just fine. Place the apples in a glass baking pan and pour the hot syrup over the apples with the syrup filling the bottom of the pan. 
Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. The results are pictures above. I adjusted the recipe to make eight apples. Serve these with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.While I was inside making apple dumplings, Bob was outside hauling wood to be put in our basement for our wood furnace. We have a combination wood, coal, oil furnace.
This wood was cut last summer and has seasoned and is now ready to burn. Bob loaded and hauled it up from the barn.
Then he had to unload it from the truck and throw it down into the basement.
All this and more has to go into the basement and then be stacked. We have already had our heating oil tank filled, but we need to have a load of coal delivered soon. I prefer to heat with the wood. It's a much warmer heat.
9 comments:
Great little tutorial! You know, when I make them, I cut the dough in circles, so I have to roll out each one individually. I never could figure out how to make it look nice from a rectangle. I guess now I know.
Oh, and I picked up the candle maker tool for you and I'll drop it in the mail, so collect yourself some squash or gords and some little tea lights.
You were a busy lady and Bob was equally busy getting ready for winter.
I was inside and out washing windows. Liesel and I met up with my girlfriend and walked along the river in the late afternoon.l I then came home, got in laundry from the clothesline, started a load of wash, made 5 can casserole (added corn and kidney beans) and now have another chore before I can collapse on the couch with Liesel around 8:30 or 9:00. Never enough hours in a day.
I got up early enough today to bake too. I made chocolate chip / m&m cookies, but I lost count on the cups of flour that I had used and added 1 cup too many. They looked like buscuits when they came out of the oven. The bowl of dough is still sitting on the counter, about 12 hours later. Wish I had some apple dumplings to enjoy! will you make that for thanksgiving when you come?
Oh those dumplings are the best!
Candle maker tool? squash or gourds? tea lights? Now what are ya'll up to? Sounds interesting. Sounds like something I might like to do? Anyone care to fill us curious readers in?
My mom just told me that her mom used to make biscuit dough and put it in 2 cake pans and bake it. Then when it was done she would cut each one in half. Then she would take fresh made applesauce and put it between the layers like a big cake. They would cut it like cake and eat it that way and it was delicious, she says. They called it "Applesauce cake".
The apple dumplings look awesome!
I remember the dinner we had with the dumplings, so yummy.
I saw the recipe on Rachels blog and copied it, hopefully I will get to make some soon.
I have been working frantically on my quilt, the one we started years ago, I only have two more rows to sew and I can start on the border. Will never make this one again.
Yes, you need to come out to cali so we can have fun...not only do we have the fudge shop but rocky mountain chocolate factory too.
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