Blushing Apple Dumplings

                                                                          





These blushing beauties are perfect to serve on Valentines Day ! With their pretty red sauce they will decorate your Valentines Day meal with a nice little blush ! Here in Dutch Country Apple Dumplings are a staple for the dinner table. Apple Dumplings are not dessert, but they could be ! We have Apple Dumplings for supper served hot from the oven in their bubbling sauce with a good dollop of milk poured over the top. These are also eaten for breakfast. Visitors to Lancaster seem to prefer them as a dessert served warm with whipped cream or ice cream or served cold like pie !  No matter how you eat them Apple Dumplings are sure to give your cheeks DIMPLES they are that GOOD!

                                                                            

I like to make these into 6 individual dumplings in their own little silver foil tin. Assemble as described but put some in the freezer unbaked. Get them out at a later time & you have a quick & easy dumpling fest. Of course I bake a couple to have right away ! If you make all 6 at one time just bake in a 9x13 ungreased glass baking dish.  This crust is crisp yet soft & moist & soaks up milk & the sweet spicy sauce in the most delightful way. Tender apple in the center with the nice cinnamon spice to liven up the dumplings is the only way to try these beauties.You will have a wonderful dish !

SAUCE:
2 Cups Apple Cider or Apple Juice or Water ( I use cider)
1 TSP Vanilla
1 & 1/2 Cups Sugar ( if using water use brown sugar otherwise use granulated sugar)
1 TSP Cinnamon
Dash of Nutmeg
Dash of Salt
8 Drops of Red Food Coloring ( use 14 if using cider or juice) if you do not want a red sauce leave coloring out ! I switch this up but make red most often.
1/4 Cup Butter
Place liquid in deep saucepan. Add spices, sugar, salt & food coloring. Bring to a boil while whisking. Let boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat & add butter. whisk in until combined. Set aside until assembling your dumplings!

DUMPLINGS:
6 Apples peeled & cored but left whole ! I do one apple at a time & assemble. This keeps apple from turning brown !
2 Cups Flour
2 TSP Baking Powder
1 TSP Salt

1 TBS Sugar                                                                               
1 TSP Vanilla
3/4 Cup Shortening




Stir all dry ingredients together. Cut the shortening in like you would to make crumbs. Add all the liquids & stir just to combine a nice moist dough. Roll out on a well floured board to make a 12 x18 rectangle. Cut into 6 large squares. Place one prepared apple in the center of  each square. I do this one apple at time putting the following steps into that apple then move onto the next apple. In the center of the apple place 2 TSP brown sugar. 1 TSP butter & a generous sprinkle of cinnamon. Lightly wet the edges on the squares of dough. Bring corners up to meet centered over the top of the apple. Crimp together. Now either place in individual pans or place in your 9x13 baking dish. Assemble all 6 apples just like this. Pour a large amount of the red syrup over each dumpling about 1/4 cup per dumpling. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven place each dumpling in a deep bowl & if you want to eat these like we do pour a large amount of milk over each dumpling & serve ! Whipped Cream or Vanilla Ice Cream is an option too! Freeze any unbaked dumpling in a well protected container with the sauce already poured on the, just bake in a 375 degree oven until crust is brown & sauce is bubbly. DELICIOUS !