Baked Apple Dumplings

By ctozzi

Ingredients

• Dough
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 5 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 3/4 cups cold buttermilk
• Apple Dumplings
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons golden raisins, chopped
• 4 Golden Delicious apples (see note)
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• Cider Sauce
• 1 cup - apple cider
• 1 cup - water
• 1 cup - sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp butter (cold)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 60mins
Cooking time 90mins
Adapted from cookscountry.com

Preparation

Step 1

Use a melon baller or a metal teaspoon measure to core the apples. We like to serve the dumplings warm with vanilla ice cream and Cider Sauce (see Cider Sauce recipe). Other sweet, moderately firm apples, such as Braeburns or Galas, can be used in this recipe.


1. Make Dough: Process flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor until combined. Scatter butter and shortening over flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer to bowl. Stir in buttermilk until dough forms. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead briefly until dough is cohesive. Press dough into 8- by 4-inch rectangle. Cut in half, wrap each half tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

2. Prep Apples: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. In second bowl, combine butter, raisins, and 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar mixture. Peel apples and halve through equator. Remove core and pack butter mixture into each apple half.

3. Assemble Dumplings: On lightly floured surface, roll each dough half into 12-inch square. Cut each 12-inch square into four 6-inch squares. Working one at a time, lightly brush edges of dough square with egg white and place apple, cut-side up, in center of each square. Gather dough one corner at a time on top of apple, crimping edges to seal. Using paring knife, cut vent hole in top of each dumpling.

4. Finish Apples: Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange dumplings on prepared baking sheet, brush tops with egg white, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake until dough is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 10 minutes. Serve with Cider Sauce.

5. Cider Sauce: Add apple cider, water, sugar and ground cinnamon to sauce pan. Whisk on medium-high heat to a gentle boil. Let boil gently for 15 minutes until sauce is syrupy and clings to the sides of the pan. Then add butter and lemon juice. Mix. Serve on top of dumpling.