National Apple Dumpling Day

If you love eating apple pie and don't like sharing the whole dish with others you're in luck. Have you ever tried an apple dumpling? Its like having your own personal apple pie. This yummy dish originated from the Pennsylvania Amish. Its popularity had spread throughout the American Northeastern and Midwestern regions.

This would be a great dessert for the little ones. Once you have made it you can serve it with ice cream to bring out more wonderful flavors.

Apple Dumpling Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 to 2 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 to 6 Granny Smith or other cooking apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
• Sugar, approximately 1/2 cup, for sprinkling apples
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Butter, cut in small pieces

Syrup:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup margarine melted

Directions

Combine flour, baking powder and salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually add milk, stirring to make a soft dough. Roll dough into a 1/8" thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface; cut into 5-inch squares.

Place 3 or 4 pieces of apple on each square. Sprinkle each with 2 teaspoons sugar and a sprinkling cinnamon and nutmeg to taste; dot with butter. Moisten edges of each dumpling with water; bring corners to center, pinching edges to seal. Place dumplings 1 inch apart in a lightly greased shallow baking dish. Combine 2 cups sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 2 cups hot water and 1/4 cup butter or margarine; stir to dissolve sugar. Pour syrup over dumplings. Bake at 375° for 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot with cream or ice cream.
Makes about 1 dozen apple dumplings.