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Apple Dumplings Recipe

This recipe is for old fashioned apple dumplings recipe, popular in Northern Indiana in the the first half of the 20th century, and probably earlier.

Ingredients

  • About 6 apples, more or less. It depends on how big the apples, and how thin you roll the pie dough
  • 3 cups flour[1. plus a little extra to “dust” the rolling surface and the baking pan]
  • 1.25 cup shortening[2. plus a little extra to grease the baking pan]
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional, I usually omit)
  • Ice water, a few tablespoons, as needed

Instructions

There are only two elements in this simple recipe–the apples and the pie dough.

  1. Peel the apples, cut them in half and remove the seeds/core. A potato peeler works well in peeling the apples. Try a small paring knife for the halving and coring.
  2. Grease and flour your pan with a bit of extra shortning and flour. Set it aside.
  3. Make the pie crust / dough. See pie crust for a complete description.
  4. Roll out the pie dough using about half the amount in this recipe. The thickness should be about the same as for ordinary pie crust / dough.
  5. Cut the rolled out pie dough into about any shape you like (square, triangle, etc.) in an area you can use to cover on apple (both halves)
  6. Put two apple halves together. Put a section of cut dough around them, and seal the apple in the dough, by gently molding with your hands. Add another piece, if you are little short on dough.
  7. Put this dumpling in the pan. Repeat until you run out of apples and/or pie dough. Or add more, as needed.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. About 50 minutes to an hour.[3. I never had an oven on which the temperature settings were very accurate. Keep on eye on your apple dumplings as they bake. The color is more important than the time.]
  9. SERVING: I prefer apple dumplings, either warm or cold, with milk and sugar. This is the way my parents and grandparents ate them. My wife and some of my children prefer the dumplings warm, with ice cream on top. Or they taste good alone, either warm or cold.

Culinary TraditionUSA, midwest, circa first half of 20th Century
My Rating (out of 5 stars)

NOTES:




Old fashioned Cream Pie–modified, NON-DAIRY

Old fashioned Cream Pie–modified, NON-DAIRY.
Grandma Truex’ Recipe (modified)

Summary: A fast, easy and delicious, NON-DAIRY ALTERNATIVE to the traditional  cream pie, with no top crust

Ingredients

Grandma and Grandpa Truex
Grace and Will Truex. This is her recipe, modified.

  • 1 Tablespoon non-dairy margarine
  • 2 Tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/3 cup UNSWEETENED coconut milk*
  • sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top

Instructions

  1. Dab non-dairy margarine in an unbaked pie shell.
  2. Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl. Add the eggs (scramble first).
  3. Slowly add the coconut milk as you stir. Add enough to make a paste first, and then gradually add in the rest of the coconut milk. If you add the coconut milk too quickly, it will not all dissolve, and you’ll get a crusty layer on top of the cream when it bakes. Mix well.
  4. Poor in the pie shell. Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top (optional).
  5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 to 45 minutes. The filling should no longer be liquid, when fully baked. A toothpick should come out clean. Refrigerate after it cools. Some people like to eat cream pie warm. I prefer it after it’s been in the refrigerator for a day.

CulinaryTradition: USA (Traditional)

My rating: 5.0 stars
*****




Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream (non-dairy)

Prep Time 1.5 hours
Yield: 5 quarts
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly about 10 Days

Ingredients

Notes
1 Gallon Coconut Milk, Unsweetened In dairy cooler at Publix
2 cups Sugar Original recipe calls for “organic cane sugar (sub to half with agave nectar or maple syrup).” Note: may affect texture???
3 ½ Tbsp Vanilla Extract
3 Tbsp Whiskey (Bourbon is fine) See untested alternatives below
1 Box Ice cream (rock) salt Note: No real saving on salt or ice in the freezer for the ½ recipe, since the machine still needs to churn with the same ice cold outer mixture.
2 bags 20 pounds ice

Instructions

  1. Mix sugar, vanilla and ½ gallon coconut milk in the ice cream freezer, with a wooden spoon. Then add the remaining ½ gallon coconut milk and stir and the 3 tablespoons of whiskey.
  2. Churn in the ice cream freezer until it stops, in about ½ hour.
  3. Let sit and harden in the freezer for ½ hour, before removing from the freezer.

Culinary Tradition:   USA, special diet

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
****

COMMENTS:

  •  Not bad. Everyone liked the recipe.
  •  Not as smooth and creamy as my best (cooked) dairy based home made ice cream recipe.
  •  There was a slight coconut taste. Discernible, but not overpowering. Hidden with a bit of chocolate syrup.
  •  The texture changes somewhat over time. It was somewhat more crumbly and crystallized each day. The bourbon was added to prevent/slow this process, and did help considerably, compared to no whiskey.

OTHER UNTESTED SUGGESTIONS:

  •  The following were other suggestions compared to no whiskey. Remember, the whiskey is added to make the mixture smoother, especially over time; not for the taste. The taste and alcohol content is not discernible, at this level.
  • This recipe starts to crystalize after a day. Online ideas to stop/slow crystallization—NOT all at once — not tested…
    • Churn less than capacity, to incorporate more air when churning; or
    • Add corn starch; or
    • Use agave, especially since the syrupy nature of agave helps prevent ice crystals from forming, keeping the ice cream very smooth (or use some honey); or
    • Add one Tbsp pectin (Publix, Sure-Gel Pectin)