Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings Recipe

How to make it

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• In large bowl, mix flour, salt, and 2 tbsp brown sugar
• - With pastry blender or two knives used scissor fashion, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• - Stir in 5 - 6 tbsp cold water until dough holds together, set aside.
• - In small bowl, mix dried fruit, butter, 4 tbsp brown sugar, and 1 tsp cinnamon.
• - Peel apples.
• - With melon baller, remove cores but do not go all the way through to bottom.
• - Press dried fruit mixture into cavities.
• - Preheat oven to 400 F.
• - Grease 15"x 10" jelly roll pan.
• - Reserve 1/3 cup dough.
• - On floured surface, with rolling pin, roll out remaining dough, using a ruler to help push and shape dough into 21" x 14" rectangle.
• - Cut dough into 6 - 7" squares.
• - On waxed paper, mix remaining 2 tbsp brown sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
• - Roll an apple in sugar mixture.
• - Center apple on a dough square; brush edges of dough with some beaten egg.
• - Bring dough up over top of apple.
• - Press to shape; seal edges.
• - Place dumpling in jelly roll pan.
• - Repeat with remaining apples, sugar mixture, and dough squares, and more beaten egg, to make 6 dumplings in all.
• - Roll reserved dough 1/4" thick.
• - Using knife, cut out as many leaves as possible; reroll scraps and cut out more leaves.
• - Score leaves with back of knife to make veins.
• - Brush dumplings with egg.
• - Press in cloves for stems.
• - Bake dumplings 35 - 40 minutes, until pastry is golden and apples are tender when pierced with knife.