National Apple Dumpling Day

Yesterday was national apple dumpling day in the US. Yes you read right, a day for apple dumplings! Why not, they’re great and fall is the time of year for apples at their peak, so go and celebrate apple dumplings day and have or rather make yourself a great one.

For entertaining you could read the book The Apple Dumpling Gang or get the DVD and watch it with the kids.

Apple Dumpling Torte

3 pounds apples - peeled, cored and sliced
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Place sliced apples in baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in eggs and oil; pack on top of apples.

Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until topping is puffed and golden brown.

Apple Dumplings

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons shortening
1 cup milk
6 medium baking apples, pared and cored

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Mix together sugar, cinnamon and walnuts. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter, or blend rapidly with fingertips until dough resembles oatmeal.
Stir in milk. Mix to a smooth dough.

Turn dough onto floured board. Divide into 6 equal portions. Roll each portion until large enough to wrap around one apple.

Place each apple in center of individual dough, but do not wrap. Sprinkle reserved sugar mixture into the core of each apple.

Bring dough over each apple. Wet edges of dough to seal.

Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in 350° F. oven until apples are tender
and dough crispy, about 1/2 hour.

Serves: 4 to 6

Gourmet Apple Dumplings

For dough:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp shortening
1/4 cup apple juice or apple cider

For filling:
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup crushed gingersnaps
1/4 cup ground pecans
1 tbsp grand mariner
1 tsp cinnamon

Recipe Preparation

Mix flour, cinnamon, salt, butter and shortening until a crumblymixture forms. Add in the juice slowly, until a smooth dough forms.
Melt butter, and mix the rest of the ingredients into it.

Putting it all together: Core 3/4 of an apple (preferably a Granny
Smith) making sure that there is plenty of room for the filling. Roll
out the dough, the thinner the better. Wrap dough around the apple.
Squeeze off the excess and create leaves for the top of the apple
with the extra. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes
until dough becomes a light to golden brown. It will not get too dark
so definitely keep checking on it.

The dough recipe should yield enough for two apples. To make a stem
for the apple use a small piece of cinnamon stick