Old Fashioned Apple Dumplings

I am happy to be participating in September's Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge! This month's ingredients are apples and cinnamon.  My husband was in heaven since I made his all time favorite dessert his Grandma's Apple Dumplings.  Mine aren't as good as his Grandma's but he didn't mind that I made up a batch anyway!

Old Fashioned Apple Dumplings

Dough
3/4 cup shortening
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
6 Tbsp milk

3 large apples (Gala, Jonagold, Jazz), peeled and sliced thinly
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbsp sugar
water

Serve with milk, whipped cream, or ice cream

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. In a mixing bowl add the flour and salt, stir.  

 With a pastry blender or a fork, cut in the shortening until the mixture is a coarse meal.  

Add the lemon juice and the milk and stir with a wooden spoon to make the dough.  

Cover with a cloth and set aside.

Peel and thinly slice the apples, place in a bowl and set aside.  

Combine the 1/2 cup sugar with the 2 tsp cinnamon and place in a small bowl.  Cut the butter into small pieces, set aside.  Spray 2 9x13 or in my case a 10x15 and a 8x8 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Lightly flour a work surface and a rolling pin.  Roll out the dough into a thin rectangle.  

With a knife or pizza cutter, slice the dough into wedges.  In the center of each wedge place a small handful of apples, generously sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and then dot with some of the butter cubes.  

(After taste testing my husband told me to put more butter and more cinnamon sugar next time, so be more generous than I was!)

Seal each dumpling leaving the corners open.  

Place in the prepared pans leaving space between each dumpling.  Pour enough water into each pan to reach about 1/2" in height.  Generously sprinkle the tops with the plain sugar.  Bake until golden brown about 40-45 minutes.  

It may not take as long or it may take a little longer depending on how much water you use and how your oven cooks.  You want a nice beautiful color on the crust and it should not be doughy on the top at all but have a nice crispness to it.

Enjoy!  My favorite way to eat these is with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream while they are still warm, my hubby likes them with milk because that's how his Grandma made them, they are pretty good with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top too.