Apple Pecan Dumplings

Ingredients

Dumplings

• Pastry for 3 pie shells
• 2 oranges
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 4 medium cooking apples
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 to 3 tablespoons cold butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoons broken pecans

Pastry

• 1 pie shell
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup cold lard or shortening
• 2 or 3 tablespoons chilled club soda, lemon-lime or other flavored soda or ice water

Instructions

1. Dumplings: Grate 2 tablespoons orange peel; squeeze orange juice. Measure and add water to make 1 cup.
2. In a saucepan, mix 1/2 cup of each sugar with flour; add grated orange peel and juice. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and clears, about 3 minutes.
3. Pare, core and cut apples into 3 horizontal slices. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Cut cold butter into 6 pieces.
4. Roll pastry 1/8-inch thick; cut into six 7-inch squares. Place 1 apple slice on each; sprinkle 1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar. Top with second apple slice; press 1 piece butter into center of apples; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Brush pastry edges with water. Wrap around apples. Pinch to seal. Place dumplings in 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
5. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
7. Spoon some orange sauce over dumplings; bake 10 minutes. Spoon over more sauce. Bake 10 minutes. Repeat, sprinkling with pecans. Bake 15 minutes.
8. Pastry: Combine flour and salt. Cut in lard to make a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of cold soda, tossing with a fork to mix. Repeat until flour is moistened and can be pressed into a ball. Shape into 1 flat rounded ball if making 1 pie shell; 2 balls for 2 pie shells or 1 double crust pie. Wrap ball in plastic wrap or wax paper and let rest for 5 minutes.
9. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 ball into an 11- to 13-inch circle to fit an 8-, 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Fold into quarters or roll around rolling pin and transfer to pie plate. Follow directions for pastry on apple pecan dumplings.

Posted by tgraddy at Recipe Goldmine May 21, 2001.