We used to have a cabin in Blue Ridge, Georgia. During apple season, we always visited Mercier’s Orchard. Mercier’s grows apples, but they also have a country store where they sell their apples, along with a variety of other goodies from gifts to freshly baked goods to ciders, jams, and jellies. In the back of the store, they have a tasting area where you can sample any of the many varieties of apples that they grow. It was at Mercier’s that I discovered what have become my favorite apples. In the last few years, I am amazed at the many varieties of apples that have become available. If I had to pick one favorite variety, it would be Pink Lady.
The DeKalb Farmer’s Market in Decatur where I shop every week always stocks a wide array of organic apples. I always opt for organic fruit if it’s available. Apples are one of the fruits that are most vulnerable to pesticides and other chemicals used in agriculture. I find that organic fruits and vegetables are not that much more expensive than their non-organic counterparts anymore. I feel like the extra expense is a worthy investment in our health.
I don’t think there’s anything better than mixing apples and pastry dough. For these dumplings, I used small Honeycrisp apples which hold up well when baked. I peeled and cored the apples and filled them with pecans browned with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. The dough is my basic pie crust dough.
Ingredients
4 baking apples (Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Pink Lady)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 lemons
2 quart water
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 sticks butter, cubed
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup iced water
Instructions
1. Cut lemons and squeeze juice into water in a large bowl.
2. Cut thin slice off of bottom of each apple so they will sit upright.
3. Peel each apple.
4. With a melon baller, core each apple leaving the bottom quarter intact.
5. Place apples in lemon water.
6. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.
7. Add brown sugar and cinnamon to melted butter.
8. Add chopped pecans to butter and sugar mixture.
9. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly.
10. Remove from heat and cool.
11. Remove apples from water and dry thoroughly.
12. Fill apple cavities with pecan mixture.
1. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes.
2. Place butter in the freezer for 15 minutes.
3. Mix flour, salt, and sugar.
4. Place flour mixture in the freezer for 5 minutes.
5. Place the butter and flour in the bowl of a food processor.
6. Pulse several times until butter is in pea-sized pieces.
7. Place in large bowl.
8. Add water to mixture one tablespoon at a time, blending with a fork.
9. Continue adding water and mixing until the dough sticks together.
10. Form the dough into a ball without over-handling.
11. Cut the dough into 2 equal sized portions.
12. Wrap dough portions in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
13. Take a dough portion and flatten into a disk.
14. On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness.
15. Cut 7"x7" squares of dough.
16. Repeat with second portion of dough
1. Place apple in the middle of dough square.
2. Take two opposite corners of dough square and bring to top of apple.
3. Wet one corner with water and overlap other corner.
4. Bring other two corners to the top of the apple, tucking dough in as you would when you wrapping a box.
5. Wet dough and overlap corners to seal dough.
6. With dough scraps, cut 8 leaf shapes.
7. With a knive, make an indention down the center of each leaf.
8. Make 3 diagonal indentions on each side along the main vein of the leaf.
9. Wet the back side of the leaves and place on the top of each dumpling.
10. With a basting brush, apply egg wash over each dumpling.
11. Sprinkle sugar over each dumpling.
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place the dumplings on a baking sheet.
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until crust is light brown.
5. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
https://southernboydishes.com/2012/11/12/apple-dumplings/
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Tried your recipe. My family absolutely loved the apple dumplings! Thanks for the gorgeous and tasty share 🙂
Thanks so much for stopping by SBD! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I saw this on Carnival Eats…omg, I want to make these!!!!
Delicious and lovely decorated!
Perfect for coffee.
If I knew that these would be the dessert at Thanksgiving, I don’t think I would eat my meal. Bring on these gorgeous dumplings!!!! Oh I love pink lady apples!!! They were my favorite until I tried this year’s crop of winesaps from northern NM. OMG! They were go good and would be perfect for this dumplings! Gorgeous pics!
These are too cute and perfect for thanksgiving. Love the picture.
Take care
Comnie
These are picture perfect, and the leaves are a nice touch. Nice to see you blogging again.