Apple Dumplings
I’m pretty sure the brains of people who consider themselves foodies are hard-wired to remember every first taste. Mine does. As long as I was old enough at the time to be able to register the memory, I can remember the first time I ate almost anything. This includes apple dumplings – not the kind that are cooked in a pot with drop dumplings floating alongside, but the kind that involve a whole apple individually wrapped in pastry dough with butter, sugar, and spices, then baked. My first one came along one year at the Michigan Renaissance Festival, which takes place every August and September, and is known for its giant turkey drumsticks, soup in a bread bowl, and apple dumplings.
Although I haven’t been to “Ren Fest” in a number of years, I grew up going every summer with my family. We’d watch the comedy acts and jousting, eat soup in a bread bowl, and shop the hundreds of booths. My mom and I had a tradition of picking out a new headwreath of dried flowers and streaming ribbons to wear, and taking it home to hang on the wall until its bright colors faded. It didn’t occur to me at the time that there were Renaissance Festivals all over the country throughout the year – it was just something I grew up with. I was pretty amused when season five of Gilmore Girls came along, with its Renaissance Faire sub-plot. Huzzah!
But I digress. I’m supposed to be writing about apple dumplings here, not Renaissance festivals (although I’ve noted that there’s one in Maryland – I think we’ll have to check it out next year).
Apple dumplings are just another fantastic way to take advantage of apple season. You can never have too many of those, right? They’re also incredibly easy – perfect for a weekend project (fun for kids to help with) or even a weeknight when dinner is in the crock pot and you have a little extra time to put something in the oven.
Apple Dumplings
For the dumplings:
1 batch of this pastry dough (note: this can be made ahead and kept refrigerated until you’re ready to use it) or one package store-bought pie dough
8 sweet baking apples, like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady (check out this article for more on the best apples to use for baking)
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into eight pieces
1 large egg, beaten
For the sauce:
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Here’s the printable recipe. Enjoy!
