IMBB: The Ugly Dumpling
This isn't it. This is. I've always been curious about these boiled dumplings; it's one of those things that sounds appalling but is such a traditional dish that you think you must be missing something, that it must be better than it sounds. Well, if boiled apple dumplings fit in that category it must be when someone else is making them. Mine turned out awful.
Since I approached the whole project with some skepticism I only boiled one and baked two more. The baked ones turned out much better, although the Granny Smiths I used were so tart they could have used more sugar (we just solved that problem by eating them with ice cream on top). The dough was good for baked apples though, and so easy that I'd definitely use it again.
It's just 2 cups sifted flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon sugar, a pinch of salt and a cup of sour cream (mix dry ingredients, then add sour cream). Form it into a ball and refrigerate while you peel, halve and core 4 apples. Then you stuff the cored space with a mixture of 4 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and put the two halves back together.
Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick, then cut it in four pieces and wrap each piece around an apple, sealing by brushing lightly with milk (Todd helped with the milk, and he was laying it on pretty thick.)
Here's where I strayed from the recipe. I dropped one in a big pot of boiling water with a lemon half in it and boiled for 15 minutes, after which time I had the fallen-apart mess you see above. I also baked 2 in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes, basting them with the leftover butter mixture when they started looking dry. (I only made 3.) Thank goodness. I would've cried if all three had ended up like the tasteless goo of the boiled one.
Split a baked one between two bowls and top with raisins, walnuts and ice cream.
I have been oh-so remiss about posting a link to the rest of the IMBB entries. Here it is, finally: life in flow
I made, but didn't post, a similar whole-apple dumpling wrapped in store-bought puff pastry with a little caramel sauce and walnuts. It needed a lot more sugar.
Your recipe is much more pure, I think.
Hi,
I just was searching to see if anyone every made boiled apple dumplings like my grandmother. One thing that may have helped your dumpling from falling apart would be to wrap them in cheesecloth or some other clean, thin, white cloth (I think my grandma used old tea towels (as she called them) that she cut into squares large enough to wrap around the pastry wrapped apple). Then try a gently boil, not a full rolling boil. I loved them with a bit more sugar on top and in a bowl of milk. I was trying to find where the recipe originated (I believe Grandma's was PA Dutch, like most of her other recipes) but I'm not certain.
Anyway, I hope this helps. They're not the same type of dumpling as baked apple dumplings, much more on the chewy side but there are alot of German dumplings (knodel)that are similar.
Hope you try them again. Oh, by the way, Grandma never used Granny Smiths, always Macintosh or Winesaps which were sweeter and held their shape.
Mark Slider