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The Hedonist Cook

Apple Dumplings that made Thomas fall in love with me

Ingredients

  • 1 double-crust pie pastry (homemade or store-bought, thawed if frozen)
  • 6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
  • ½ cup butter
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Vanilla ice cream (for serving – non-negotiable)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  2. Roll pastry and cut into six 8-inch squares. Place one apple in the center of each square.
  3. Cut butter into 8 pieces. Place 1 piece (about 1 tsp) inside each apple core. Reserve the remaining butter for the sauce.
  4. Stuff brown sugar into the center of each apple and sprinkle any extra around the base. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the tops.
  5. To wrap each apple: with wet fingers, bring one corner of the pastry to the top, then bring the opposite corner to meet it. Pinch together, then repeat with remaining two corners. Seal edges around the sides to fully encase the apple.
  6. Place all dumplings in the prepared pan.
  7. For the sauce: In a saucepan, combine water, white sugar, vanilla, and the reserved butter. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
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