Here’s a warm, comforting recipe for Hot Apple Dumplings:
Ingredients:
For the dumplings:
- 2 large apples (Granny Smith, Fuji, or Honeycrisp work well)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (cold and cut into cubes)
- 1/2 cup milk (whole or 2%)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the syrup:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Prepare the apples: Peel and core the apples, then slice them into 8 wedges each. You can sprinkle them with a little lemon juice to prevent browning if desired.
- Make the dumpling dough:
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the milk and vanilla extract, and stir until just combined into a dough. Don’t overwork it—just enough to bring everything together.
- Assemble the dumplings:
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness.
- Place a few apple wedges in the center of each piece of dough and fold the dough over to enclose the apples. Pinch the edges together to seal.
- Prepare the syrup:
- In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally, and let it simmer for a couple of minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup thickens slightly.
- Bake:
- Place the dumplings in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Pour the hot syrup over the dumplings.
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the dumplings are golden brown and the apples are tender.
- Serve:
- Serve the hot apple dumplings with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream if desired.
Enjoy your delicious homemade apple dumplings! They’re perfect for a cozy dessert.