Apple Dumplings

Yummy fall means BAKING!!! (that could be super bad!) My nephew Dave's cute little wife Ashlie made Apple Dumplings awhile back and posted the yumminess on her blog, and I decided to try it. I changed up a few things though....I have spoiled Rhett just long enough that HE knows when I don't use 'REAL' pie crust....so I don't get away with using store bought and I also made homemade caramel sauce...but those things are totally optional. I also used Craisens in my filling...which was way yummy as well! So, Thank you Ashlie for the yummy idea!!! It was a great hit amongst my family! So much that I may be making these for Thanksgiving!!! Happy Baking!





How yummy does that look! I don't have super cute dishes to display all that glory, but it works! :) And next time I will double the 'sauce' part. I think that I reduced mine down to much and didn't have enough to serve....but you couldn't tell from all that yummy caramel sauce!

Apple Dumplings

Ingredients :
1 pastry for 2-crust pie
Syrup Ingredients: (i will double this next time)
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 cups water
3 Tablespoons butter (softened)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Filling Ingredients:
6 apples (peeled and cored just enough to leave a bottom)
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 cup craisens (opt)
2 Tablespoons butter (softened)

Directions:
1. Roll pastry slightly less than 1/8" thick. Cut in to 7" squares.
2. Bring syrup ingredients to boil. Boil 3 minutes.
3. Put apple on center of each pastry square. Fill with mixture of sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and craisens. Dot each with teaspoon of butter.
4. Bring points of pastry up over apple and overlap. (I added cute little cookie cutouts from the pie crust in shapes of fall leaves.... :)
5. Place a few inches apart in baking pan. Pour 1 cup hot syrup mixture around dumplings.
6. Bake at 425 degrees F for 45 minutes. (you may want to cover the dumplings with tinfoil for the first half hour to prevent the dark leaves :) Just before serving pour rest of warm syrup over dumplings and serve with ice cream. And ENJOY!

cookie cutouts






not cooked




cooked and not served all pretty :)












Caramel Sauce:
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 c. butter or marg (i actually use marg!)
1 c. karo syrup (light)
dash salt, Bring to a boil, add:
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 t. Vanilla
For sauce...bring to another boil. For CARAMELS....just to chew on....stir and boil until it reaches the hard ball stage (not the hard crack!! hard ball!) Store in a Jar, refrigerated for upto 3 weeks...just melt down in microwave. You may need to add a bit of milk each time you heat it up...if it lasts that long! (i have a tendency to just eat it with a spoon! lol :)

Pie Crust ( i love this crust!!!)

2 cups flour, sifted
1 cup shortening (not picky on brand)
1/4 c. sugar (unless I am making pot pie...then no sugar)
1 t. salt
Cut togther until it resembles a corn meal consistancy. Add:
1 egg beaten
4 T. milk
1 T. lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (serious!!! it is a must!)

Mix until encorporated (try hard not to use your hands, you may need to just a bit at the end)
Form into a ball and put in fridge for 15 minutes, splint in two even halves and roll out.

Happy Baking!!!