At a pumpkin fest last weekend, I was tempted into the adjoining apple orchard for some pick-your-own action. There wasn’t much challenge to it, and we had more than we could carry in about 20 minutes. After consulting with the farmer, I picked Ida Reds, good for baking and snacking, and was instantly smitten. (He said it would be OK to try them out in the field.) The more I ate of that first delicious fruit, the more I wanted to bring home. I left with 18 pounds.
As we drove home, I got fixated on trying to make apple dumplings. I knew they’d be a lot of work, so I left it for Sunday afternoon.
I was right about the work. I don’t know if I’ll ever make them again, but it sure won’t be because of the taste. They were absolutely phenomenal.
I used the recipe from “Joy of Cooking.”
APPLE DUMPLINGS
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 single pie crust
6 small apples, about 4 ounces each
1 egg lightly beaten
For the syrup
1 cup water
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, mix dark brown sugar, cinnamon and salt with a fork. Cut in butter until mixed well.
3. Fill the apples with the mixture and pat any remaining mixture on top of the fruit.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the crust into an 18-inch-by-12-inch rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 6 6-inch squares, then roll each square a little larger, into a 7-inch square.
5. Place an apple in the center of each square and bring the corners up around the apple, pinching to seal. Prick the top of the pastry. Place in 11-by-7-inch baking dish and bake 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan whisk syrup ingredients and bring to a boil. Let boil 5 minutes and pour over the dumplings.
7. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake 30 to 35 minutes, basting occasionally, until apples are tender.
– adapted from “Joy of Cooking”
Did I do the nutritional numbers? No.