Two Quick and Easy Apple Desserts
Although apple season is pretty much over here in Minnesota, it isn’t in my kitchen!
I’m getting ready for the long months of winter by preparing a whole bunch of freezer dishes and this week my main focus was breakfast and dessert! All which have apples as the main ingredient!
And even though the apple season is winding down, one of our local orchards offers what they call ‘second hand’ apples. There is nothing actually wrong with the apples, other than a few minor holes or bruises. Unfortunately, a lot of folks won’t buy them because of these flaws, so the orchard sells them at a hugely discounted price.
I’ve been buying these second-hand apples for a few years now, and frankly, they are some of the best cooking and baking apples I’ve ever had! The only downfall is they do need to be used pretty quickly or they will go bad.
That’s not a problem at our house.
I usually make up several batches of applesauce to freeze for the winter months, as well as muffins for a quick breakfast or snack, and of course pies.
This year the majority of the apple we purchased for baking was McIntosh.
McIntosh is definitely one of my favorite apples to eat, but because they have that perfect combination of sweet and tart, and they soften shortly after harvest, they make the best apple (my opinion) for baking! They quite simply just melt into whatever recipe you’re making in no time at all.
This is why as I was preparing my winter stock of apple treats, I also decided to make a few batches of apple turnovers and dumplings!
The apple dumplings are SUPER easy because you can definitely take a big shortcut by using store-bought wonton wrappers.
I use a homemade pie crust, but you could certainly use a store-bought crust.
I also saved time by doubling the apple filling recipe and used it for both the turnovers and the dumplings.
All you need is apples, spices, and a few other pantry staples and you’re ready for assembly.
That’s easy too, especially for the dumplings since the wonton wrappers are already cut to the perfect size. Simply place a tablespoon of the filling in the center. Then brush edges with egg wash and fold in half. VIOLA-yummy apple dumplings ready to bake or freeze.
The dough for the turnovers does need to be cut whether you use store-bought or homemade, but no biggie, otherwise the steps are pretty much the same.
If your baking both you can roll your dumplings in powdered sugar as I did, or eat them plain. I also made a simple glaze for the turnovers, but again, you can sprinkle them with a bit of cinnamon and serve right from the oven!
Here is the recipe for both!
I hope you enjoy these Two Quick and Easy Apple Desserts!
Apple Turnovers and Dumplings
Ingredients
Pie Crust- ( I use Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pie Crust Recipe)
- 1 1/2 cups Crisco shortening
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 5 tbsp cold water
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
Apple Filling-Recipe makes 4 turnovers or approx 12 dumplings
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp ground apple spice or cinnamon
- 2 medium apples peeled and diced
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 egg beaten
Glaze
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp half and half
**Wonton wrappers for dumplings
Instructions
-
For Turnovers: Combine flour and shortening in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter-gradually cut shortening into flour until it looks like coarse meal. Beat egg and add to flour mixture. Add water, vinegar, and salt. Stir together until all are incorporated. Roll dough into a ball and cut in half. (This will make two normal-sized pie crusts). Place each dough ball into a large freezer bag. Press gently with the palm of your hand to flatten dough. (This will make it easier to roll out.) Place dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour to chill.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine ingredients for filling. Bring to a boil. Lower temp and let simmer for 5-10 minutes or until apples are tender. Stir frequently to avoid scorching. Let filling cool completely.
Remove one package of pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll pie dough into a circle about 8" in diameter. Cut into 4 even triangles. Place 1/4 of the apple filling into the center of each triangle. Brush edges with egg wash. Fold over and seal edges with fingers or a fork. Brush tops with remaining egg wash. Bake at 450 for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely before drizzling glaze over turnovers. Serves 4
For Dumplings: Place a wonton wrapper on a sheet of parchment paper or generously floured surface. Place 1 teaspoon of apple filling into the center of the wonton wrapper. Brush edges with egg wash. Fold in half. Continue until all dumplings are assembled. Brush remaining egg wash over outside of dumpling. Bake in a 350 preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar. (Optional)
Have a great weekend!
Blessings and hugs,
This sounds yummy – We don’t really have an apple season here it’s just not the right climate to grow apple trees. However where I grew up it was an apple paradise and I remember picking apples with my grandmother every year and then helping her in the kitchen to make tasty treat we would freeze for later.
Great idea and I really need to get back to my kitchen roots of preparing food for later. It’s been a struggle since we moved because I enjoy being outside much more.
Apple turnovers sound wonderful… I may have to try this..
Thank you, Carole! I understand your desire to be outside more. You live in such a beautiful oasis that I can’t imagine you being stuck inside for long! We live about fifteen minutes from what is referred to as the Apple Capitol of Minnesota-it’s just small town but it’s surrounded by apple orchards and they even have a celebration in the fall! I LOVE stopping by a few of the orchards and checking out all of the varieties each year, but the funny thing is I always buy the same variety each time. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the turnovers if you do decide to whip up a batch! Have a great weekend!