Stuffed Apple Dumplings Baked in Pastry
Yield: Makes six apples
Stuffed Apples Baked in Pastry
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min
If you’re looking for a seasonal treat that’s sure to become a fall favorite, this delicious recipe features baked apples stuffed with a delectable mixture of berries, cinnamon, ginger, and wrapped in a crunchy pastry.
Ingredients
Dough
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted cold butter, cut into ½ inch dice
- ¼ to ½ cup ice water
Apples
- 6 large firm apples like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 6 tablespoons dried cranberries or dried cherries
- 2 tablespoons ground walnuts
Egg Wash
- 2 large egg yolks combined with 3 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half (you may not need all of the egg wash)
Instructions
Dough
- Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. With the motor on, add the butter through the feed tube. Process for 10 to 15 seconds. The dough should resemble a coarse meal.
- With the machine running, drizzle ice water (keeping ice cubes out of the mixture) through the feed tube. Start with ¼ cup. Put some dough between your fingers. The dough should come together when pressed between your fingers. If it is too dry, drizzle in a little more water. If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour.
- Form the dough into a ball then flatten into a disk using your hand. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. The dough can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator.
Baked Apples and Egg Wash
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper. Peel the apples. Using an apple corer, remove the core from the apple.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ginger, dried fruit, and walnuts. Place the apples on a firm surface like a cutting board. Starting at the top of the apple (where the core was) place the fruit, nuts, and spice stuffing mixture firmly into the cored cavity. In a bowl, combine the egg yolk with cream or half and half. Set aside.
- Divide the pastry dough into 8 pieces. You will use 6 pieces for the apples and the remaining two pieces to cut out pastry decorations.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll a dough piece into a 7-X 7-inch square. Place an apple, stuffed side down, in the center of the dough. Brush the sides of dough with the egg wash mixture. Bring up dough sides and pinch firmly to adhere dough sides. Continue with remaining edges. Place on the prepared pan. Repeat the process with the remaining apples. Brush the apple pastry with egg wash. Roll out the remaining dough pieces and cut out leaf decorations. Adhere the decorative leaves on the apple pastry using the egg wash. Brush top of the leaves with egg wash as well. Bake until browned, about 40 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream and caramel sauce.