Apple Dumplings - Mildred M.

So I have decided that Mildred was an amazing cook that cooked from her head and when they put this book together she just wrote her favorite recipes down as best she could and submitted them.  This is the 3rd recipe of hers, I believe, that has not been a complete recipe.  That said, I tried to come up with an idea of what she meant by the recipe.  For example, it calls for "rich biscuit dough," but there isn't a recipe or indication of what that was or how big of a recipe she used.  So I used one recipe of the Baking Powder Biscuit recipe from an earlier week and substituted butter for the shortening, I used whipping cream instead of milk and I used the 2 T sugar, this seemed to me to include the ingredients I relate to "rich" desserts.  Then it calls for "finely cut up apples."  Again no quantity or type, based on the instructions in the recipe it sounded like I needed to cover the dough with the apples.  This turned out to be about 2 C worth or 2 1/2 Granny Smith Apples.  Lastly, it has you make a sauce to put over the rolls (which doesn't indicate how much cinnamon, I kind of just shook some in, guessing it to be about 1/2 tsp), but doesn't indicate if it should be poured over before or after you bake the rolls (which it doesn't give a temperature or time to bake, so I guessed on that as well).  After a conversation with mom, we decided that since they were "dumplings" that indicated steaming, so we decided the sauce was probably meant to go on before they were baked.  That said, the sauce was very thick, it may be due to the fact I substituted corn starch for the flour to make the sauce Gluten-free to pour over the gluten free rolls I also made using some GF biscuit dough in the fridge (no "rich" dough for her this time, just brushed it with butter before adding the apples).  I may have miscalculated the substitution of cornstarch and used too much, but either way, it was VERY thick, almost like a pudding, I think the sauce should have been a little thinner and next time I am adding a little vanilla,  I love vanilla and a dash of salt.    I am also tempted to add a little nutmeg to the sauce as well, not because anything was missing, just because I love apples and nutmeg.

As for our review, MAKE THIS NOW!!!  The dough was divine, almost cake like, but not quite.  We all thought it would be great with vanilla ice cream, which I didn't have so we whipped some cream (which was melted in the photo).  It was also fairly simple and quick to put together. Despite all the issues with the recipe, it was really amazing and a recipe I am going to perfect, I think it will be a favorite, for that reason, I am giving it 4-stars.  The kids exclaimed it was a 5 and I had to stop them at 2nds.  We sent some to some friends before we had really tasted them and I almost wish we had been selfish.  Out of a full 9x13 pan, we have 2 left.

 So here is the recipe with the added instructions based on the way I made it. 

Apple Dumplings 

1 recipe rich biscuit dough (below)

2 C finely cup up granny smith apples (about 2 1/2 lg apples)

1/2 C-2/3 C cornstarch (or 1 C flour)

2 C sugar

2 C water

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
dash salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

Roll dough out thin, like for cinnamon rolls.  Place apples on dough and add a little cinnamon-sugar.  Roll up like a jelly roll and cut 1" slices and place in a greased 9x13 pan. Bring the remaining ingredients, except for vanilla, to boil, remove from heat and add vanilla and pour over the apple rolls.  Bake in a 350-degree oven for 55-60 minutes.  Allow to cool some before serving.

Rich Biscuit Dough

2 C flour

4 t Baking Powder

1 t salt

4 T butter

1 C cream

2 T sugar

Mix dry ingredients together and cut in the butter until it looks like bread crumbs.  Add cream and stir until combined - dough will be very thick.