Shelly's Recipe

BAKED APPLE DUMPLINGS

Category: Fruit Desserts

Dough
2 1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
10 tbsp(1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
5 tbspvegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
3/4 cups cold buttermilk

Apple Dumplings
6 tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp unsalted butter , softened
3 tbspgolden raisins , chopped
4 Golden Delicious apples
2 egg whites , lightly beaten

1. MAKE DOUGH Process flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor until combined. Scatter butter and shortening over flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer to bowl. Stir in buttermilk until dough forms. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead briefly until dough is cohesive. Press dough into 8- by 4-inch rectangle. Cut in half, wrap each half tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

2. PREP APPLES Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. In second bowl, combine butter, raisins, and 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar mixture. Peel apples and halve through equator. Following photos 1 and 2, remove core and pack butter mixture into each apple half.

3. ASSEMBLE DUMPLINGS On lightly floured surface, roll each dough half into 12-inch square. Cut each 12-inch square into four 6-inch squares. Working one at a time, lightly brush edges of dough square with egg white and place apple, cut-side up, in center of each square. Following photo 3, gather dough one corner at a time on top of apple, crimping edges to seal. Using paring knife, cut vent hole in top of each dumpling.

4. FINISH APPLES Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Following photo 4, arrange dumplings on prepared baking sheet, brush tops with egg white, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake until dough is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 10 minutes. Serve with Cider Sauce.

Servies 8

NOTES: Use a melon baller or a metal teaspoon measure to core the apples. We like to serve the dumplings warm with vanilla ice cream and Cider Sauce (see Cider Sauce recipe). Other sweet, moderately firm apples, such as Braeburns or Galas, can be used in this recipe.

Cider Sauce
1 cup apple cider
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp lemon juice

Bring cider, water, sugar, and cinnamon to simmer in saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until thickened and reduced to 1½ cups, about 15 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and lemon juice. Drizzle over dumplings to serve. Makes about 1 1/2 cups

NOTE: To make this sauce up to 2 days in advance, reduce the cider mixture until it measures 1 1/2 cups, then refrigerate. When ready to serve, return mixture to simmer and whisk in butter and lemon juice off heat.