Apple Dumplings are apples baked in pastry shell with a cinnamon sugar syrup. They are best served warm and go well with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
My Mom would make Apple Dumplings a few times a year. They are a delicious treat to have in the autumn, or anytime of the year! I prefer using Granny Smith apples but you can use any baking apple that you prefer.
This recipe came from my maternal Grandmother. The recipe includes making the pastry from scratch. Some people use ready made pastry, so, if you prefer to do that, you can skip the steps that make the pastry from scratch.
When rolling out the pastry dough, roll it out into a rectangle so that you can cut it into six equal squares - one for each apple. Don't stress over getting the pastry dough into a perfect rectangle. The pastry dough is wrapped around the apple so that the apple is covered. It stretches a little, so a perfect rectangle is not required.
After the pastry dough is rolled out and cut into squares, a peeled and cored apple is placed in the center of each square. Then, a pat of butter and 2-3 teaspoons of a cinnamon-sugar mixture are placed in the core of each apple.
The next step is to wrap the pastry dough around the apple. Do not pick up the apple until after the dough is formed, at least in part, around the apple. You want to have a seal of pastry dough to the apple so that the cinnamon-sugar mixture does not come out the bottom. Once you do pick up the apple, you can finish smoothing out the pastry dough around the apple.
The pastry covered apples are placed in a prepared baking dish, the syrup is poured over the apples then they are baked. The pastry should be golden brown and the apples soft when done. Let them cool a few minutes, then serve warm.
If you like baked apples, Apple Kuchen and Apple Cake are both good desserts. Apple Kuchen has a more mild flavor than the Apple Cake.
I hope you enjoy the Apple Dumplings!
Apple Dumplings
Ingredients
Syrup
- 14 ounces 7Up or other lemon-line soda
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup butter
Pastry
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 cups shortening
- 1/2 cup milk
Filling
- 6 talespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons butter
Apples
- 6 medium apples, peeld and cored
- 3 tbsp butter
Instructions
Prepare Oven and Pan
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Make Syrup
- Combine the 7Up, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg in saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved.
- Add 1/4 cup butter and stir until melted.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.
Make Filling
- Cut the butter into 6-equal pieces and set aside.
- Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Make Pastry
- Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl.
- Cut in the shortening until there are small clumps.
- Add the milk and stir until moistened.
Make Dumplings
- Roll the pastry dough out thin and into the shape of rectangle.
- Cut the dough into 6-equal squares.
- Place a peeled and cored apple in the center of each of the squares.
- Put one of the pieces of butter in the core of each apple.
- Using a teaspoon, evenly distribute the cinnamon-sugar mixture between the apples. It will be 2-3 teaspoons per apple.
- Fold each pastry around the apples and gently work the pastry to cover the entire apple.
- Place the pastry covered apples in the baking dish.
- Pour the syrup over the apples and in baking dish.
- Place the baking dish in a preheated oven and bake 35-40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the apples are soft.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. The syrup will be very hot and could burn you, so be careful.
- Serve warm dumplings with sauce,
