Apple Dumplings

Monday 2 November 2020


 


Apple Dumplings. Nothing speaks more about Home Sweet Home I think than a warm apple dumpling. Fresh from the oven and served warm with cream or ice cream, you really can't get a tastier dessert!  

 
I would take one of these over a piece of apple pie or a candy apple any day of the week.  They are actually very quick and simple to make as well, requiring very little effort. 



Apple Dumplings

 

We used to get an apple in our lunch every single day when I was growing up. My mother subscribed to the old axiom that "An apple a day, keeps the Doctor away."  It was considered a very healthy snack or treat. 



I confess I am not overly fond of raw or fresh apples. Its a texture thing with my teeth. Eating the skin is just like scraping my fingernails over a chalk board.  If you are very young you probably won't understand what I mean by that. You probably have never seen a chalk board. 



Apple Dumplings

  


Fingers scratching across a chalk board has to be about the worst sound on earth. It makes me cringe just thinking about it.  


Not all apples are create equally. There are apples which are really good for eating out of hand, or dessert apples as they are called over here.  Some good examples of those would be Fuji Gala or Honey Crisp. You can also eat Granny Smith's if you are fond of apples that are a bit more on the tart side. 



 


When making apple dumplings, the best apple is a tart variety that stands up to baking, like a Granny Smith. Granny Smith apples won't get mushy in the baking process.
 

They will bake up nicely underneath the flaky layers of pastry dough. Golden Delicious and Idared apples are also great to try when making dumplings. You want an apple that will hold its shape, and not fall apart. 



Apple Dumplings

 


 A short crust type of pastry works best in this recipe. I favour my Butter Lard pastry. It makes just the right amount for this recipe and works very well for either savoury or sweet bakes. 


It has a really beautiful texture. 



Butter Lard Pastry

Yield: makes 2 9-inch crusts
Author: Marie Rayner
This is a beautiful pastry. Flaky just right. You can add a touch of sugar to it if you are making a fruit pie.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour (280g)
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup butter (76g)
  • 1/3 cup lard (or white vegetable shortening) (74g)
  • 5 to 6 tablespoons of ice water

Instructions

  1. Mix flour with salt, and cut in butter and lard, until you have pieces of fat in the flour about the size of peas. Add ice water, one TBS at a time, tossing it in with a fork until pastry comes together. Form in to a ball and cut in two pieces. Form each into a round flat disc. Warp in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

notes:

If using for a sweet pie, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar.

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Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #EnglishKitchen
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You can also use a good quality ready-made pastry.   I have my favourites. You need enough for a two crust pie to make six dumplings. 


As far as the apples go, you only need to peel and core them. I have an apple corer which does a fabulous job. I don't know how I ever got along without one! 



Apple Dumplings

  


The peeled and cored apples get rolled in some lemon juice before rolling the in cinnamon sugar.  The lemon juice helps to preserve their colour and the cinnamon sugar gives them flavour!  



They also get stuffed with a mixture of brown sugar and butter for even more flavour. 



Apple Dumplings

 


You place the coated apples onto squares of the pastry and stuff them with the brown sugar and butter. I sometimes will cut the squares out with a fluted cutter for added interest. It makes them prettier. 



The four corners are them brought up to cover the apples in their entirety. Make sure you crimp the edges tightly together to seal them completely. 




 

I like to decorate them a bit by making some leaves with some pastry if I can and I stick a clove in the centre for a stem. It makes for a really pretty look. You don't have to do that, but it does really dress them up. 



Once you have them ready just pop them into a baking dish and bake them for half an hour.  While they are baking you make a syrup. It is a very simple syrup of water, butter, sugar, vanilla and some spices.    



Apple Dumplings
 
 

At the end of half an hour you pour this syrup around them and continue to bake them. They will bake in this to perfection in about half an hour.  Ready to serve warm with your choice of cream, ice cream or custard sauce. 



Bake these for your family and be prepared for plenty of applause!  These  really are the best! 


Apple Dumplings
Print

Apple Dumplings

Yield: 6
Author: Marie Rayner
prep time: 15 Mincook time: 1 Hourtotal time: 1 H & 15 M
I don't know anyone who doesn't love these. They're fantastic, and they're not as difficult to make as one would suppose.

Ingredients

For the dumplings:
  • 6 medium sized firm cooking apples (I used granny smiths)
  • 2 TBS lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • soft light brown sugar
  • 2 TBS butter
  • enough pastry for 2 10-inch pie crusts
For the Sauce:
  • 2 cups (480ml) of water
  • 3/4 cup (175g) granulated sugar
  • 2 TBS butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
To serve: (all optional)
  • Pouring cream
  • vanilla ice cream
  • custard

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Have ready a 9 by 13 by 2 inch baking pan, which you have lightly buttered.
  2. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle measuring 14 by 21 inches. Cut into six even squares. Whisk together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
  3. Peel and core the apples, leaving whole. Put the lemon juice in a bowl and roll the apples in this, then roll them into the bowl of cinnamon sugar to coat. Place each apple into the centre of one pastry square. Fill the cavity of each apple with 2 TBS soft light brown sugar and 1 tsp of butter. Pull up the sides of the pastry squares to cover each apple, crimping the edges tightly shut. Place into the prepared pan.
  4. Bake for 1/2 hour.
  5. In the meantime, combine the sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to the boil and cook rapidly for 1 minute. After the dumplings have been cooking for 1/2 hour, pour the sauce over top and then return to the oven, continuing to bake for a further 1/2 hour, basting occasionally.
  6. Serve warm with your choice of cream, ice cream, or custard. Delicious.

notes:


Did you make this recipe?
Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #EnglishKitchen
Created using The Recipes Generator
Apple Dumplings

 


These delicious dumplings have to be just about my most favourite thing on earth. If it's in pastry then I am all over it. I always find one of these very difficult to resist. What is your impossible to resist dessert?  


This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again! 

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6 comments

  1. Apples did not feature highly in my childhood. The climate where I grew up was much more suited to stone and citrus fruit and apples had to be freighted in from cooler regions. There wasn't a lot to choose from either - there were Granny Smiths for cooking and Jonathan apples for eating.

    I've come to appreciate them much more since moving here where everyone has an apple tree in their garden. I especially love the early season white transparent apples and one called Ingrid Marie. I make applesauce, pies, apple cakes and crumbles but have never tried apple dumplings, so again I have a chance to attempt something new, which I like. I'm always interested in learning and trying new recipes.

    As always you make them sound delicious and your pictures look so appetising. I'm looking forward to trying them out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We have had apple, pear and plum here in the garden along with our soft fruit. I wil miss those. I love cooking with apples! I love nothing more than a nice big bowl of fresh applesauce! Yummy! Love and hugs, xoxo

      Delete
  2. Dear Marie, when you return to Canada, or if you decide to stay in England, please consider getting a manager. You are very, very talented. Your artwork has a unique, whimsical expression. Your personality would be great in a talk show format, where cooking and conversation flow equally. This recipe for Apple Dumplings is delicious, and a perfect example of your talents with the balance of sweet and spice. A Grateful Reader of the English Kitchen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am already packing to leave here on Friday. I wish I knew how to get a manager, I would have done it a long time ago! I hope you will try the dumplings. They are fabulous! Thanks very much for your sweet comment! xoxo

      Delete
  3. These apple dumplings are the ultimate comfort food~ I've been making them for years. This recipe is scaled down from mine which is nice seeing as though I'm an empty nester now and eating 6 or 7 dumplings is not recommended if I want to keep my old-girlish figure.

    I enjoyed several of your recipes so much and I love reading your blogs! In fact just made your "𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐬" a̲g̲a̲i̲n̲ tonight. The only problem I have with that recipe is the fact that they are so addictive and I'm hooked❣ ツ
    (`<🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

    ReplyDelete
  4. So pleased you are enjoying the Dutch Almond Cookies. I agree, totally addictive! You can look forward to more sized down recipes in the future. As I am on my own now, it only makes sense to cook smaller. xo

    ReplyDelete

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