Star Wars, Seminary, Autumn, and Apple Dumplings
(Thanks to my dear friend, Mandi Franks, this post is a guest post on her blog, I Speak Food. Please take a moment to go check out her page if you love food!)
Classes have officially started.
I may already be a teensy bit behind in my readings because of missing out on 4 days over Labor Day Weekend to travel out to South Carolina with my kids for a joint cousin Star Wars-themed birthday party. As I was the only adult in the car, I had to drive out and back (so couldn't read in the car) and I was in charge of games and the photo booth, for which I chose to do a green screen so I could put the kids into scenes from the Star Wars movies. The kids had a blast. I had anxiety.
Haha.
But seriously.
Yesterday I spent the day resting and taking care of myself but also reading like crazy because you know. School. I am adoring Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird. There is so much richness in it, and I love her voice! I'm also really enjoying one of the texts for my theology class—Faith Seeking Understanding by Daniel L. Migliore. It's highly readable and flows really well, which is great for getting back into school reading after 12 years in the real world. (**These links are NOT affiliate links. I will not receive anything if you decide to purchase the books from these links. I just wanted to share because I love them so much.**)
I love school, and I love September, because September always brings up the idea that it should be fall. But I live in the south. So basically September and early October are like second summer. But I still feel academic and fall-ish when September hits. And a classic fall-ish thing is my Grandma Norma's apple dumplings.
I grew up with my grandma's apple dumplings. They were an awesome treat anytime of the year, but especially during the fall, when apples were ripening and falling from their trees, and the leaves were changing, and the wind was growing chilly. We loved to have an apple dumpling warm in a bowl of milk for breakfast. I remember many occasions sitting at her breakfast bar in her little kitchen, swinging my legs and savoring her delicious apple dumplings.
So naturally, every fall, I find myself in the mood for apple dumplings.
There are just two problems with this:
My grandma is no longer around to make them for me.
Her recipe, which we have record of in the Scott Family Cookbook, is, well...vague. And. Well, look:
So last year, I set about experimenting to see if I could replicate her apple dumplings. And I am happy to say that I did! So I wanted to share this delectable recipe, forever immortalizing this tiny memory of my Grandma Norma on the internet. I've already had some people try out the recipe and they said it was delicious. So here you go.
Grandma Norma's Apple Dumplings
Ingredients:
Betty Crocker pie crust mix—one box makes 4-6 dumplings (depending on how thick you roll the dough/how big you make each dumpling)
McIntosh apples—peeled and sliced (I prefer McIntosh, because they are my favorite. But you can substitute whatever variety of apple you like.)
Butter
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Milk
Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400
2. Mix dough per box instructions
3. Roll out dough and cut into squares of approx. 6”x6”
4. Place approx. 4-5 apple slices in middle of square
Steps 3-7
5. Add 1-2 pats of butter per dumpling
6. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon (amt. per your preference) on top of butter and apples
7. Fold corners over toward middle and seal around apple goodness
8. Place dumplings on oiled/floured cookie sheet
9. Once your dumplings are on the cookie sheet, brush them with milk and top with a sprinkling of large granulated sugar
10. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until tops start to brown
Steps 8-9
Steps 8-9
Step 10—Done!
Step 10. Look at how delicious that looks!
Saving some for later.
Grandma always liked to serve these warm, in a bowl, with some milk poured over them. That's the classic way we always enjoyed them, and they were often a delicious, delightful breakfast on chilly mornings.
This is now my preferred way to serve them: a little milk, some whipped cream, and a cup of coffee or tea. Yum!
You can't go wrong with some whipped cream.