Healthy Treats

One of my favorite recipes came from one of Dusty's Grandma's friends in a chain mail recipe exchange.


Apple Dumplings

Sauce
2 c sugar
2 c water
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c butter
1,4 tsp. nutmeg

Pastry
2 c flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c shortening
1/2 c milk

6 apples, peeled and sliced

Combine ingredients for sauce and cook 5 minuts.
Sift flour, salt, & baking powder. Cut in shortening. Add milk all at once and stir until flour is moistened. Divide dough in half. Roll out to cover bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Add apples and sauce. Roll out remaining dough and cover apples.
Bake for 35 minutes at 375.

So you might notice that the recipe called for 6 apples, and I have at least 12. I'm not usually a "go big or go home" kind of person, but I had twice the required apples for several reasons.

1. Some of the apples were small.
2. I had to use them up before they went bad.
3. Dusty likes to steal them before they make it into the pan. I even tried to take a picture of him when he took a pre-baked bite, but he wouldn't let me.


I am glad I had his help to peel and chop the apples while I made the sauce and the pastry.


But from my last post, you all know that I don't keep shortening in the house. My Cook it Right substitutions book says you can substitute butter 1 for 1, so that's what I do. It's really tasty crust. The first few times I made this, I followed the recipe exactly. But the last two, I tried not to put the crust on the bottom. What's the point? It gets soggy. BUT both times the sauce ends up too watery. I think you need the bottom crust. Or less apples. They might be the water culprit. Let me know if you try it.


See all the water at the bottom of the pan? Shouldn't be there. BUT it wasn't nearly the disaster that my Surprise Cake was.


I tried the silicone pans, put them on a baking sheet. Stupid baking sheet warped when it got hot, and made the cakes lopsided. I heard the stupid thing "pop," why didn't I think of it? Then I was too impatient to let the cake cool, so it was a mess after I iced it. I did the same thing for my sister's FunFetti birthday cake a few years ago. I wish I had a picture of that beautiful thing. Thank god class starts Monday!


And now for the healthy "Surprise" ingredient!