Ingredients

Pastry:

2 cups flour

½ teaspoons salt

⅔ cup shortening (Crisco)

6-8 Tablespoons water

Syrup:

1 ½ cups water

¾ cups sugar

2 Tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Filling:

4 medium apples

sugar

cinnamon

butter

Instructions

Pastry:  

Sift together flour and salt; using a pastry cutter, thoroughly cut in shortening.  Add water, a Tablespoon at a time, until all of the four mixtures can be formed into a ball of dough.  Roll out on flour-dusted board, or waxed paper, as for pie crust. Cut into 4 large squares.

Syrup:

In a saucepan, mix all ingredients together.  Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes.

To Assemble:

Pare and core apples.  These may be left whole or they may be quartered.  Place 1 apple on each pastry square. Top each apple with 1 Tablespoon sugar, a dash of cinnamon and 1 Tablespoon butter.  Fold the pastry over the apple and seal. Place dumplings in a shallow glass baking dish. Pour syrup over the dumplings, place in preheated 425-degree oven and bake 30 minutes, or until browned.  Serve warm or chilled with heavy cream, sweetened whipped cream, or apple cinnamon ice cream from Theo & Rose in Covington!