These Dutch apple dumplings delicious, decadent
Apple dumplings are a wonderful exercise in taking something already close to perfect, and turning it into something blissfully, brilliantly, beautifully delectable.
These rich apple dumplings are baked in hot, bubbling butterscotch syrup, so using a tart baking apple, such as Granny Smith, adds a nice contrast. These are great with heavy cream or vanilla ice cream.
Refrigerate leftovers in a lidded container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost completely in the refrigerator. To reheat: Microwave in 1-minute increments until they’re as hot as you’d like them to be.
Dutch Apple Dumplings
Generous 3 ¾ cups allpurpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt, divided use
2 cups (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, divided use
1 cup whole milk
2 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar, divided use
6 medium-large baking apples, such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon Heavy cream, for serving
Make the dumpling dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Cut 2 ½ sticks of the cold butter into quarters lengthwise, then cut into small cubes and add to the dry ingredients, tossing them until they are evenly coated. Press the butter pieces between your thumbs and forefingers into small, flat pieces. Add the milk, and mix gently with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy, soft dough forms. It shouldn’t look too wet, but it shouldn’t have large clumps of bone-dry ingredients either.
Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with a piece of plastic wrap and transfer the dough on top, patting it into a 1-inchthick rectangle. Wrap well and refrigerate while you make the butterscotch, about 10 minutes.
Make the butterscotch syrup: In a medium saucepan over high heat, whisk together 2 cups of brown sugar, 2 ½ cups water and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat so the liquid is at a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining butter until fully melted and the syrup is smooth. Pour into a 9-by-13inch baking pan and set aside.
Peel and core the apples. About halfway through prepping the apples, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it soften on the counter, about 5 minutes.
Assemble and bake the dumplings: Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Cut the dough once horizontally and twice vertically into six squareish pieces. (It’s OK if they’re not perfect. The size of the rectangle will depend on the size of your apples.)
Place an apple in the center of each dough square. Mix the remaining 1/3 cup of brown sugar and the cinnamon together in a small bowl and sprinkle into the hollowed apple. Wrap the apples fully in the pastry, pinching off pieces of dough to patch holes as needed, then briefly roll in your hands while applying a bit of pressure to smooth them out. Transfer to the freezer to firm up the dough, about 10 minutes.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375 degrees.
Arrange the apples in the butterscotch syrup in the pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until you can easily pierce into the dough-encased apple. (Place a large, rimmed baking sheet on the rack beneath the apple dumplings to catch any drips.)
Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan. Then, using a large spoon, scoop an apple and some of the sauce into each bowl and serve warm, with cold cream for pouring on top.
Nutrition information: Each dumpling with ¼ cup sauce contains approximately 1,012 calories, 11 g protein, 53 g fat, 132 mg carbohydrate, 138 mg cholesterol, 524 mg sodium and 7 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 9