Spiced Apples and Dumplings

Spiced Apples and  Dumplings

My father brought over about 10-15 pounds of Arkansas Black apples the other day and I am still working my way through them!  I had an old recipe laying around that I had made a long time ago, from Joy The Baker, that used berries and so I decided to play around with it and adapt it to use with apples.  I kept the dumpling recipe the same, except I doubled it.  The apples are reminiscent of apple pie filling, except with a thick juicy sauce for the dumplings to cook in.

  

Peel your apples, I peeled and sliced mine into a solution of water and Fruit Fresh, but lemon juice and water would work too!  Drain before using apples.

 

Cook your apples until fork tender....not all the way tender because they still have to cook with the dumplings and you don't want them mushy.

 I used a scoop to portion out the cookie dough (a Pampered Chef size medium). The I sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar.

 The cooked dumplings kind of mush together but are easy to separate for serving.

 These apples and dumplings would be amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or maybe a drizzle of caramel sauce (or both) but I like to keep things simple!

 

Spiced Apples and Dumplings

Adapted from Joy the Baker 

 10-12 medium apples (I had a few large thrown in too), peeled, cored and sliced thin

1/3 cup white granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/4 cups apple cider (I used Simply Apple juice)

2 cups all-purpose flour (level cups)

4 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 tablespoons sugar + 1 tsp. cinnamon

Wash, peel and core your apples, then slice them thin (like you would for a pie).  Place them in a deep heavy bottom pot (I used a dutch oven).  Mix the next 6 ingredients together and pour over apples in pot.  Toss to combine and then pour in the apple cider (or apple juice).  Cook over medium low heat until you can just pierce them with a fork and the liquid is bubbling and thick. (If it looks like there isn't enough liquid, add some more cider).  

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in melted butter and buttermilk until a soft, moist dough forms. Portion out scoops of dough, (I think I fit about 10 in my dutch oven) and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the dumplings.  Cover with a tight-fitting, heavy lid or cover tightly with heavy duty foil. Cook 10-15 minutes or until dumplings are set and dry to the touch.  Serve warm.