Pastry Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter, chilled
1/2 cup ice water, approximately
6 large Gala or Fuji apple, 3-inch diameter, cored
1 large egg yolk, for glaze
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (or brown sugar)

Caramel Ingredients:

2 cups cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Pastry Procedure:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar and whisk to mix.
• Use the coarse holes on a grater to shred the cold butter into the flour, tossing to coat the butter with flour.
• Sprinkle in 6 tablespoons of the ice water, tossing the flour mixture with a fork, then begin gathering the mixture with your hand, squeezing to gently form a dough. If there is loose flour, sprinkle in more water, just to moisten enough to come together.
• Divide the dough in six portions, form into disks, wrap or cover, and chill for at least an hour.

Caramel Procedure:

• Warm the cream in a small pot.
• In a 2-quart, heavy bottomed pot, over medium heat, melt sugar. Don’t stir until you see it starting to melt around the edges, and then only use a spatula to pull the melted edges into the center. It will look lumpy, but stirring too much at first will make it worse. As it melts, you can stir more, and if it gets lumpy, just lower the heat and keep stirring. When the mixture reaches a dark amber color, take off the heat.
• Pour the hot cream into the sugar (carefully, it may boil up).The caramel will harden at first.
• Place over low heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Raise heat without boiling over, and stir slowly to melt the caramel again.
• Once the caramel is melted, bring to a boil, careful to monitor and adjust the heat so it doesn’t boil over. Simmer vigorously for ten minutes to thicken the sauce. It should reduce to about 2 1/2 cups. Let stand at room temperature.

Baking Procedure:

• Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Use a paring knife to cut out the core of the apple from the stem end, cutting straight down to remove a plug about an inch across. Use the point of the paring knife to remove the seeds, but leave the bottom intact.
• On a floured counter, roll out each of the chilled pastry disks, the place an apple in the center.
• Measure about one tablespoon of the caramel to fill the cored apple halfway. Pull small sections of pastry up and press gently, tucking into the cored opening. Repeat with all six apples.
• Whisk the egg yolk with a teaspoon of water and use a pastry brush to glaze the pastry, then sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
• Place the apples on a baking sheet with a rim. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the pastry is golden. The caramel will boil up and possibly down the sides of the apples, but when they cool it will recede.
• To serve, pour about 1/4 cup caramel into and over each of the warm apple dumplings and serve.

Note: There will still be plenty of sauce to cover a scoop of ice cream on the side!

Recipe courtesy of U.S. Apple Association.