These are the very apple dumplings my Grandma Lucille used to make. Old Fashioned Apple Dumplings with Warm Cinnamon Sauce are best served right from the oven, topped with your favorite vanilla ice cream. Apple dumplings are a classic dessert your family will love, no matter the occasion.
1 box refrigerated pastry crust, containing 2 rolls of pie crust dough
Cinnamon Sauce
3/4cupgranulated sugar
1cupwater
1/8cupunsalted butter
1/2tsp.cinnamon
1/2tsp.kosher salt
Brown Sugar Pecan Filling
1/2cuppacked dark brown sugar
1tsp.cinnamon
2Tbs.unsalted butter, softened
1Tbs.all-purpose flour
1/3cupchopped toasted pecans
Apples
6small Granny Smith or Jonathon apples, any tart apple works great
Instructions
Make the Cinnamon Sauce
Place all ingredients into a medium sauce pan over medium high heat; bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes, whisking occasionally; remove from heat and reserve.
Make the Brown Sugar Pecan Filling
In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour until smooth; stir in pecans.
Core the Apples
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Leaving the apples peeled at this point, use a grapefruit spoon to remove the center of each apple and the seeds, leaving some of the apple intact at the bottom; repeat with the remaining 5 apples. **You can also use an apple corer for this task, just be sure you don't make the hole go all the way through the bottom of the apple. Otherwise, your filling will run out of the bottom of each one.
Once you've created the cavity in each apple, now go ahead and peel each one. **Leaving the peeling on each apple until it's fully cored keeps the apple flesh from breaking as you are working on each one.
Place the apples into a greased 11x7 inch greased baking dish to see if they will sit up properly. If they are lopsided, use a paring knife or peeler to adjust on the bottom until they are more even when standing.
Fill the Apples
Use your fingers to fill the cavity of each apple with the brown sugar/pecan filling, gently pressing it down inside to compact it a bit.
Wrap the Apples with Pie Crust Dough
Unwrap and unroll the pie crust dough, working one at a time. Place the pastry dough onto a lightly floured work surface; use a rolling pin to roll it out just a bit. Now cut the dough into 3 pieces; repeat with the remaining pie crust roll.
Wrap each of the filling apples with the pie crust dough pieces, shaping the dough around the apple however you can. They should look rather "rustic" and not perfect at all. Place dough-wrapped apples into the greased casserole dish; gently pour half of the prepared cinnamon sauce around the base of the apples. Sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt.
Bake the Apple Dumplings
Bake the apple dumplings, uncovered, at 375 degrees F. for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. ; continue to bake an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the apples are nicely tender when tested with a fork. Apple dumplings should be golden brown and flakey.
Serve the Apple Dumplings
Serve the apple dumplings warm, drizzled with additional warm cinnamon sauce and topped with vanilla ice cream. **Apple dumplings can be reheated in the microwave to serve later.