Old Fashioned Apple Dumplings Recipe

ingredients

2 pie shells pastries (10 inch)
6 medium firm cooking apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground mace (optional)
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
cream

Custard Sauce
1 1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out pie dough to form a rectangle, 14- x 22-inches. Cut into uniform squares.

Core the apples, but leave them whole. Pour the lemon juice into a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Roll each apple first in lemon juice, then in sugar and place each on top of dough square.

Fill each apple cavity with approximately 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 teaspoon butter. Pull the pastry squares up over the apples and crimp the edges tightly; you will have pretty round pastry balls.

Place in an oiled 9- x 13- x 2-inch pan. Bake for 1 hour or until apples are tender.

While apples bake, combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan set over high heat. Bring to boil and cook rapidly for 1 minute. After the dumplings have baked for 30 minutes, pour the sauce over top of the dumplings and bake 30 minutes longer, basting occasionally. Serve hot with the cream.

For Custard Sauce: In a heavy 1- to 1 1/2-quart saucepan, combine one-half cup of the milk and the cornstarch, and stir with a whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the remaining 1 cup of milk and the sugar, and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil.

In a small bowl break up the egg yolk with a fork and stir in 2 or 3 tablespoons of the sauce. Then whisk the mixture back into the remaining sauce. Bring to a boil again and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla.

Custard sauce is served hot with such desserts as blackberry or cherry-and-apple pie, apple dumplings or jam sponge.

CDKitchen Note: Recipe has been edited to fix measurement errors.

nutrition data

Nutritional data has not been calculated yet.

reviews & comments

itsybitsy REVIEW:
October 24, 2013

This was very good! It's been years since I've had real apple dumplings and these were just like I remembered.
Dana November 13, 2008

These were sooooo good. I used HUGE apples so I needed to bake about 15minutes longer
Bk September 9, 2008

Ditto above. If the sauce only makes about 1 1/2 cups then the amount of milk is over exagerated.
Mike November 11, 2007

What is used to make the sauce? How much of what?
deligirl November 1, 2007

Sounds good but I don't understand where the 5 1/2 cups of milk ends up making only 1 1/2 cups of custard sauce.