Apples & Buttons (Ham, Apples and Dumplings) Soup

By MJH

This recipe is adapted from Pennsylvania Dutch Cookbook of Fine Old Recipes by Culinary Arts Books.

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried apples
• 1 smoked ham shank (about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 32 ounce carton of chicken stock
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Dumplings
• 1 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter
• 1/4 cup milk

Details

Adapted from cindysrecipesandwritings.com

Preparation

Step 1

Place dried apples in a large bowl and cover with water.
Put the bowl in the refrigerator and soak the apples overnight.

To cook the ham, place the shank in a large pot and add the broth.
Add water as needed to cover the meat.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
Cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until meat easily pulls away from the bone.
You can cook the ham a day ahead of time if you like and reserve the liquid with the ham.
Remove ham from bone.
Discard any tough skin and tendons.
Add the apples with the liquid they soaked in to the ham stock and meat.
Bring to a boil, add brown sugar, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.

While the mix simmers, you can make your dumplings.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
In a separate bowl, mix egg, milk and melted butter.
Stir liquids into flour mixture.
Working quickly drop tablespoonfuls of dough into simmering ham and apples.
Cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until dumplings are cooked.
Remove with a slotted spoon and serve on a platter!
You can also serve with the broth as a soup!