Old Fashioned Apple Dumplings.... Yummmmmy!

The girls and I were able to visit my folks again this past week while my husband went on yet another one of his business trips (I know... he travels A LOT!), but lucky for us, we still try to have fun nonetheless.

There were many things we enjoyed about visiting my family during the week we were able to spend with them. We had lots of enjoyable times together... playing together, laughing together, fellow-shipping together, and so on.  But one thing we really enjoyed doing this time together was cooking. My grandfather provided us with a large bushel of red apples (I say red generically because I really don't know what type of apples they were). So of course we had to think of something yummy to do with them. After much thought, we decided to make a super delicious batch of old fashioned apple dumplings. Talk about YUM!

My mom, myself, and my nephew, Connor, got in on the action. Ya know that good ole saying, "Too many cooks in the kitchen will spoil the soup... well, in this case dumpling?" That certainly wasn't the case here. We had a great time working together. Let me show you how it's done in our kitchen, folks. You may just want to try this in your own after to you see the results!

Ingredients:

Dough - 

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup shortening

6 tbs ice cold water

Sauce and Insides of Dumplings -

6 large apples (preferably Granny Smith)

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups water

2 cups white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions: 


1. Begin making dough for dumplings by combining flour, salt, and shortening. Mix together using pastry blender until pea size or smaller. Mixture will be crumbly.



2. Add water (make sure it's ice cold - this will allow it to hold it's form when shaping over apples later).

3. Shape dough into flattened ball. Place in plastic wrap and refrigerate.



4. Meanwhile, peel and core apples. Set aside.



5. In a small bowl, mix cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Set aside.

6. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a large rectangle, approx 24x16 inches. Cut into 6 pieces.


7. Place an apple on each pastry square.


8. Cut butter into 8 pieces. Place 1 piece of butter in the opening of each apple; reserve remaining butter for sauce.


9. Divide brown sugar mixture between apples, poking some inside each core opening, and sprinkle the rest around the base and tops of apples.


10. With slightly wet fingertips, bring one corner of the pastry square up to the top of the apple. Then bring the opposite corner to the top and press together. Bring up the two remaining corners, and seal. Slightly pinch the dough at the sides to completely seal in the apple. Repeat with remaining apples. Place in prepared dish.



11. In a saucepan, combine water, white sugar, vanilla extract, and reserved butter. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved.


12. Carefully pour water mixture over dumplings.

13. Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes.



14. Place each apple dumpling in a dessert bowl, and spoon some sauce over top. Add vanilla ice cream if desired. And ENJOY!

Voila! There you have it, my friends! The most delicious apple dumpling this side of these here parts. If you don't believe me, you definitely have to try them out for yourselves! 

I'd say we made pretty good use of those apples my grandfather gave us. Wouldn't you?! ;)


Oh, and while you are at it, be sure to check out my SIL's blog, Happily Mother After, right here for the details on how to win her very 1st GIVEAWAY! Today's the last day to enter for a chance to win. Good Luck!