Mom's Apple Dumplings- plus a story!

I could not mention apple dumplings in my last post and not give the recipe. That would be rude. But first a story.

I was on my way to visit my parents for apple dumplings yesterday and stopped at my Aunt Irene and Uncle Buddy's house. Irene told me to tease my mom for not inviting them and Uncle Buddy told me this story:

Back when they lived on the farm on 7th street (which is now Safeway) and Buddy was less than two years old, his mother made apple dumplings. Buddy was excited. He put cinnamon and sugar on his dumpling, poured milk on it, and bit into it. That's when he discovered it was a potato. For years afterwards, when he least expected it, his mother would give him a potato dumpling instead of an apple one. A few years ago, he and some of his siblings were sitting around my grandmother in the hospital. She had gone into a semi-comatose state. Uncle Buddy was telling the story. Suddenly, Grandmother piped up and said, "It was your father's idea! He made me do it!"

Grandmother made a boiled dumpling, which the old timers swear is delicious. I'll take their word for it. This dumpling recipe from my mother is baked. The apple has a crispy covering of pie dough and sits in a cinnamon caramel sauce. I think the recipe might be from her grandmother. When we eat apple dumplings, we have them for dinner. That's just how it is.

Mom's Apple Dumplings

Sauce:

• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 1 1/2 c water
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 Tablespoons butter (for a vegan dumpling use margarine)
  

Combine sugar, water and spices together and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the butter. Set aside.

Dumplings:

• 2 c flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup shortening or butter
• 1/2 c milk (for a vegan dumpling use another kind of milk)
• 6 apples, pared and cored
• extra butter, sugar and nutmeg
  

Sift dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening until crumbly. Add milk all at once and stir until the flour is just moist. Roll dough to 1/8" or 1/4". Cut into 6" squares. Put whole apple in center of each dough square. Put chunk of butter in core hole, sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Fold dough around apple. Pinch edges together. Pour 1/4 syrup in pan to wet bottom. Add wrapped apples. Pour rest of syrup over apples, sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45-50 minutes. Tops will be dark brown.