Golden Delicious Apple Dumplings – West Virginia

Did you know….that the state apple of West Virginia is the Golden Delicious? I’ll take a bet that you didn’t. When I was looking through sites to decide on what to make, I immediately said, “Oh yeah, that’s it!” for an Apple Dumpling served with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce (ok, the ice cream and caramel sauce sealed the deal). “West Virginia, Mountain Mama, take me home, country road” as John Denver used to sing.

The Golden Delicious comes from one of the most rural counties in the Appalachians, Clay County West Virginia. It is a twisty, curvy, mountainous place and the apples were growing wild on a hillside back in the 1890’s. The Stark Brothers company bought the trees in the early 1900’s and built a large fence around them until they were able to develop and market the apple and in 1914 they began selling the apples we know today. A crisp, yellow, fine skinned apple that is lightly tart, when baked softens easily making wonderful apple sauce or dumplings that are soft enough to cut with a fork.

I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to find the apples but they were right there at Safeway, along with all the other usual suspects. Apple Dumplings are like baked apples hiding in a pie crust type shell with ooey, gooey buttery brown sugar sauce inside the apple itself. And you must serve it right out of the oven with ice cream and the requisite salted caramel sauce. Ted and I split one, which was enough to satisfy that after dinner sweet tooth that we both, unfortunately have.

I can’t wait to make them again in the fall – the house smelled amazing while they were in the oven – like a perfect crisp fall day – I guess I am a Mountain Mama.

Apple Dumplings West Virginia Style

For the crust for 6 dumplings (if using small apples – 5 if using regular sized)

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup plus a couple of Tbs milk, if needed
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg with water for egg wash on crust

For the Dumpling:

• 6 snack sized Golden Delicious apples, peeled cored and left with a hole down the center
• 1 stick room temperature salted butter
• 6 to 7 heaping Tbs brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Salted Caramel ice cream topping, like Smuckers

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1. Mix together dry ingredients for pie crust adding in the shortening and cutting together until dry crumbles form and they look like cheese curds. Slowly add milk and cut in more as needed to make a dough ball (you can use a food processor if you prefer). Form the dough into a large flat ball and place it in a bowl, covered in plastic wrap, while prepping the apples.
2. Peel the apples and remove the core all the way through, without breaking the apple. The apple should be hollow inside. Set aside while making the stuffing.
3. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and cloves with the butter until creamy but firm enough to hold together – kind of like the consistency of play dough. Set aside.
4. Remove the cool dough from the refrigerator and divide it up into 5 or 6 pieces, depending on how many apples you’re preparing. Roll the dough out into approximately 7-8″ thin circles. Brush the edges of the circles to ensure all will stick together.
5. Place the apple in the center of the crust and spoon in the sugar mixture (into the hole in the apple), pushing it to the bottom. Pull the sides up and wrap the apple, overlapping where the edges need to be pinched to hold together. Join the edges together at the top to make a pouch that is tight against the apple.
6. Brush with more egg wash and place in a sprayed 8″ square pan. Once all the apples are enclosed with the dough, sprinkle with cinnamon.
7. Bake in the 325 degree oven for about 45 minutes until slightly brown and a knife inserted into the apple comes out easily. You want the apples to be soft.
8. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and a little drizzle of salted caramel sauce.

Recipe is from www.westvirginiamountainmama.com