These Classic Apple Dumplings are a quintessential comfort dessert, featuring tender, spiced apple wedges enveloped in flaky pastry and baked to golden perfection in a rich, buttery, and aromatic sauce. Each dumpling offers a delightful contrast between the warm, soft apple, the slightly crisp and yielding crust, and the sweet, cinnamon-infused syrup that bathes them. This recipe aims to create individual pockets of apple goodness, swimming in a luscious sauce that enhances the natural sweetness of the fruit and the buttery notes of the pastry. Perfect for a cozy evening or a festive gathering, these apple dumplings are a timeless treat that evokes feelings of warmth and home. The visual appeal of the puffed, golden-brown pastries nestled in their glistening sauce, often with a dusting of cinnamon or powdered sugar, makes them as inviting to the eye as they are to the palate. This detailed recipe will guide you through creating these delightful individual apple desserts from scratch, ensuring a satisfying and flavorful outcome.
Ingredients:
For the Apple Filling:
- 4 medium apples (such as Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and each cut into 6-8 wedges
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces1
For the Pastry:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour2
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup (10 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup ice water, plus more if needed
For the Spiced Sauce:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup water
Optional Garnishes:
- Milk or egg wash, for brushing the pastry
- Coarse sugar or cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling
- Powdered sugar, for dusting after baking
- Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or caramel sauce, for serving
Instructions:
- Prepare the Apple Filling:
- In a medium bowl, gently toss the apple wedges with the granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg until the apples are evenly coated.
- Set aside while you prepare the pastry.
- Make the Pastry:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and salt.
- Cut in the cold butter cubes using a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.3 Keeping the butter cold is crucial for creating a flaky crust.
- Gradually add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently after each addition until the dough just comes together. Be careful not4 to add too much water; the dough should be slightly shaggy but not sticky.
- Divide the dough in half, form each half into a disc, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up. This will make the dough easier to roll out.
- Assemble the Apple Dumplings:
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish or a similar-sized oven-safe dish.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of pastry into a rectangle approximately 12×18 inches. Cut the rectangle into 6 equal squares (about 6×6 inches each). Repeat with the second disc of pastry. You should have 12 squares in total.
- Place a portion of the spiced apple wedges in the center of each pastry square. Dot the apples with a few small pieces of butter.
- Bring the corners of the pastry square up and over the apples, pinching the edges together to seal. You can get creative with the sealing method, ensuring the apples are fully enclosed. You can also pinch the edges decoratively. Leave a small vent hole at the top of each dumpling for steam to escape during baking.
- Arrange the assembled apple dumplings in the prepared baking dish.
- Prepare the Spiced Sauce:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the melted butter, packed light brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt. Stir well to combine.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugars are completely dissolved and the sauce is smooth.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Bake the Apple Dumplings:
- Carefully pour the warm spiced sauce evenly over the apple dumplings in the baking dish.
- If desired, brush the tops of the pastry with a little milk or egg wash for a more golden-brown and shiny finish. You can also sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar or cinnamon sugar for added texture and sweetness.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the pastry is golden brown and flaky. The sauce will be bubbly and slightly thickened.
- Cool Slightly and Serve:
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the apple dumplings cool slightly in the sauce for about 10-15 minutes before serving. This allows the sauce to thicken a bit more and the dumplings to become easier to handle.
- Serve the apple dumplings warm, spooning some of the delicious spiced sauce over each serving. They are especially delightful served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce. A dusting of powdered sugar just before serving adds a lovely final touch.
Tips and Notes:
- Apple Variety: Choose apples that hold their shape well during baking, such as those listed in the ingredients. Softer apples may become mushy.
- Pastry Tips: Keep all your pastry ingredients cold for the flakiest results. Work quickly when handling the dough, and don’t overwork it.
- Sauce Consistency: The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools. If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can simmer it on the stovetop for a few minutes before pouring it over the dumplings.
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the apple dumplings (filled and wrapped in pastry) ahead of time, place them in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking.5 Add about 10-15 minutes to the baking time if starting with cold dumplings.
- Freezing: Baked and cooled apple dumplings can be frozen. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then foil. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through.
Enjoy these comforting and flavorful Classic Apple Dumplings with Spiced Sauce!