Baked apples are new to my family. It is only in the last few years that we learned about this amazing fall dessert from my Mom's friend who ate them growing up in the UK. I had a bit of extra pie dough in the freezer and was about to make an apple pie (my go-to fall dessert), when I came across a few recipes for Dutch Apple Dumplings.
Dutch Apple Dumplings are essentially, a baked apple wrapped in flaky pastry. There are many variations of Dutch Apple Dumplings - some are made with whole apples, some with halved apples, sometimes the dumplings are boiled, sometimes they are baked, sometimes pastry is wrapped around the apple like a ball and other times they are shaped into delicate parcels, like this recipe. These Dutch Apple Dumplings (as seen re-created in the pictures above and below) originally came from the Happy Happy Nester blog.The recipe immediately caught my eye, as I fell in love with the aesthetic look - delicate, dainty dumplings. Honestly, aren't they the cutest? So, I decided to skip the pie and make some Dutch Apple Dumplings. I used my own recipe to represent the dough and baked apple flavours my family is used to, and I used Happy Happy Nester's decorating and presentation steps. After tasting the fall spiced Dutch Apple Dumplings, we've decided they might just be this season's favourite fall dessert.
Also, it goes without saying, how special do you feel when you are given your own individual Dutch Apple Dumpling for dessert? These would be perfect for a dinner party, a Thanksgiving dessert or for any form of fall entertaining (as soon as we are allowed to do that again).
I hope you give these gorgeous and delightfully tasty fall Dutch Apple Dumplings a try, you won't regret it.
Here's to apple picking season,
Krista
Dutch Apple Dumplings
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 disks of Pâte Brisée dough (you can use store bought pie dough or here is a go-to recipe)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, for rolling
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into halves (I used Honey Crisp but sour Granny Smith would be fantastic too)
3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into 12 cubes (4 cubes per tablespoon)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pecan, chopped very fine
1 egg, whisked
For Serving
Dulce de Leche, to drizzle (I used store bought), or
Vanilla ice-cream
Method
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Flour a dry, clean surface and a rolling pin. Roll both pâte brisée pie dough disks into 2 large rectangles about 1/8" thickness.
Measure and cut four 6"X 6" squares using a sharp knife. Each rectangle provides two 6" X 6" squares. Keep the extra dough scraps for decorating, making shapes with cookie cutters and mini fall pie crust cutters (*see Recipe Notes below).
In a small bowl add the salt, cinnamon, brown sugar and pecans. Mix to combine. Divide into four equal portions.
Place 1/2 of one portion of the sugar mixture and 3 cubes of butter into the cut side of the apple where you have removed the core. Place the now filled cut side of the apple down on 6"X 6" pie crust square. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 portion of the sugar mixture over top of the apple half (you have now used one of the four sugar mixture portions).
Raise all four points of the pie crust square up to the centre creating a pyramid shape. Pinch dough together to seal at the top and then along the seams where the dough sides join (make sure the sides and tips are sealed tightly, otherwise steam will escape and the apples will not cook as well). Decorate the top of the dumpling with shapes and cut-outs from the extra dough.
Repeat this process for the 3 remaining apple halves. Using a pastry brush, brush whisked egg over the finished Dutch Apple Dumplings and bake in oven for 30 minutes or until the dumplings dough has turned golden brown and the apple can be pierced with a fork.
Serve Apple Dumplings warm. Drizzle with Dulce de Leche for added decadence or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Recipe Notes:
*I purchased these cute fall pie cutters years ago from Williams Sonoma. I use them every fall for pies, dumplings, soft cheese, etc. Every year they come out with a new version.
*For a bit of extra decadence I like to drizzle a bit of Dulce de Leche thinned out with a tablespoon of milk over top of the Dutch Apple Dumplings. Another option is to serve them with a bit of vanilla ice cream if you prefer a more pie-like taste!
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