Friday, October 4, 2013

Apple Dumplings



It’s a fall afternoon and what could be more alluring than the aroma of apples slowly simmering in your oven?   Especially when they’re encased in flaky pastry.  Like apple pie and turnovers, Apple Dumplings are another version of this kind of dessert sure to please flaky pastry lovers.   

I'm definitely an apple-a-day person but the fall season does give us a chance to emphasize all the incredible ways to celebrate apples.  Apple Dumplings are sort of old-fashioned but certainly worth making in the here and now.   The idea likely originated in Britain and they were also a favorite in the early period of the American colonies, especially with the Pennsylvania Dutch who liked to bake simple pastries routinely and in good quantity. 

The scent of these pastries baking will drive you crazy.  So have your plates, knives and forks at the ready to serve them as soon as they jump out of the oven.   Seriously, what better way to greet the season?  It’s not going to feel like it’s truly fall until you’ve added a dash of pleasure to your table.  I say, revel in these intoxicating flavors and aromas as soon as you can!


Bench notes:
- The pastry dough can be made and stored in the refrigerator up to two days ahead.  If it's kept much longer than that, it starts to turn a very unappealing grey.  The sauce can also be made ahead and rewarmed.
- Apples should be smallish medium in size.  I used Fujis.  Granny Smiths are also great.
- If the rolled-out sheet of dough gets too soft, chill it while you prepare the fruit.
- Add a splash of brandy or rum to the sauce for some seasonal warmth.
- These are best served warm straight from the oven with sauce and vanilla ice cream or a dollop of crème fraiche.
- Lots of apple recipes in my Recipe Index.  And I love the Apple Cinnamon Cake from The Global Pastry Table.


Apple Dumplings
Serves 4

Pastry Dough
1 cup (5 oz) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons (6 grams) sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 oz (6 tablespoons) cold butter
1/4 cup (2 oz) cold water

Apples
1/4 cup (2 oz) sour cream                                  
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) brown sugar, packed                                                       
1 teaspoon lemon juice                                        
1/2 teaspoon vanilla       
pinch cinnamon

2 apples
4 teaspoons (17 grams) brown sugar, packed
1/2 oz (1 tablespoon) butter, melted for brushing pastry
granulated sugar for dusting pastry   

Sauce
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons (1 oz) water
1 oz (2 tablespoons) butter
pinch cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon vanilla                                       
salt, to taste

For the pastry dough, place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process to combine.  Cut the cold butter into 1/2” pieces, add to the flour mixture and process until it looks like coarse meal.  Add the water and pulse about 15 times. The dough will look like lumpy like cottage cheese rather than a smooth dough.  Gather the dough and place on a piece of plastic wrap.  Shape into a flattened disc and wrap.  Chill at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

Combine sour cream, brown sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon.  Chill.

Remove the pastry dough from the refrigerator and rest on a lightly floured work surface for a few minutes so it can soften just a bit to prevent cracking.  Roll the dough out to a 12" square, gently lifting and moving it after each roll and keeping it lightly floured as needed.  When you have the desired size, brush off any excess flour.  Trim the edges and cut into four  6” x 6” squares.  

Peel the apples, cut in half and core.  Fill the cavity of each half with the sour cream mixture.  Sprinkle each filled apple with 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar.  Center a pastry square on top and invert so the rounded side of the apple is facing up.  Sprinkle each apple again with 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar.  Gather each corner of the pastry to the center and pinch the seams and corners to seal.  Place on the prepared baking sheet.

Brush each dumpling with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.   Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the juices are bubbling, about 35 minutes.

While the dumplings are baking, prepare the sauce.  Place the brown sugar, butter, water and a pinch of cinnamon in a saucepan over medium low heat.  Bring it to a slow boil for just a minute, whisking constantly.  Take off the heat and add vanilla and a pinch salt, to taste

Plate the dumplings with a dollop of sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Serve immediately.

12 comments:

Kate said...

Swoon, swoon, swoon and yum!
I have an old-fashioned apple dumpling recipe that has a more cake-like pastry (esk?) dough.
As I am not a cake fan I will be glad to try your flakey pastry dough.
The sauce from my recipe is sweet-tart with the addition of a wee bit of apple cider vinegar. It has great flavor but is too gloppy because of cornstarch. Your sauce looks fresher and juicier so I may try a combination experiment of the two recipes for the sauce only.
Definitely going with your pastry.
I will let you know if it happens and report back.
I will try to use more succinct adjectives than pastry-esk and gloppy :P

pastry studio said...

Kate, get out of my head! I meant to use apple cider or apple cider vinegar in the sauce but forgot to buy some. Wound up just adding water. So I say, go for it!

Maybe just user the French "pastryesque" and you're good?! ENJOY your pastry adventure!

Elly McCausland said...

Gorgeous - these remind me of apple turnovers, used to make them all the time as a child but haven't in years. My apple tree in the garden is dropping fruit at an alarming rate, so you may have just come to my rescue!

pastry studio said...

Hello, Elly. Yes, they really are a lot like turnovers or little pies. Anything with flaky pastry and fruit and I'm THERE. You're so lucky to have an apple tree!

VelezDelights said...

Delicious! Congrats on this delectable post!

pastry studio said...

Thanks so much, Stephanie!

Shikha Kaiwar said...

These look beautiful! Would I ever be able to make the entire thing, freeze it, and bake it when I needed to?

www.shikhalamode.com

pastry studio said...

Heoo, Shikha. I do imagine you can freeze them. Place them on a pan in freezer until they are hard. Then wrap tightly in freezer proof bags. They will take longer to bake, probably an extra 20 minutes or so.

Sandie@afoodieaffair.com said...

Love the timeless recipes for apple dumplings! Your's look so delicious!

Michele said...

A great recipe I can't wait to try out. I love apples and cinnamon, and especially dumplings!

I came up with a related recipe for Apple Dumplings in a cinnamon sauce. While different from your own, I think mine is a unique take on the dish. I'm new to the Food Blog scene and would love some feedback from a pro like you. Check out my recipe if have time.

http://persnicketypanhandler.blogspot.com/2013/10/apple-dumpling-with-cinnamon-sauce.html

pastry studio said...

Greetings, Michele. Your apple dumplings look lovely. I think there can never be too many apple recipes out there!

It certainly looks like you're enjoying blogging. It's a lot of work but such a pleasure and a great learning experience. Cheers!

Anonymous said...

I've made these today, but with my apple filling recipe and the dough it just awesome!! Everyone loved it.

I have to thank you for putting the measurement not only in cups, but in ounces too. We don't use the cup measurement where I live (we use grams)and it was much easier for me to convert ounces to grams.

Thank you for this fabulous recipe, I'm keeping it!!! :)