Aunt Jemimas Dumplings Recipes

GREAT AUNT INA'S APPLE DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Pastry: In a large mixing bowl, sift flour and salt together. Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter or two knives in opposite directions until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of water over mixture and gently toss with a fork. Repeat with more water until mixture is all moistened. Form into a ball. Flatten pastry dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to a little less than 1/8-inch thick and cut into 7-inch squares.
• Syrup: Prepare the syrup by bringing 2 cups water, 1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons butter and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low heat and let simmer until reduced to a thick enough syrup to lightly coat the back of a spoon.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a large rimmed baking dish and set aside.
• Apples: Peel and core an apple for each pastry square you have. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon.
• Place an apple in the middle of one of the square pastries. Fill the core cavity of the apple with some of the cinnamon sugar mixture and dot with a tablespoon of butter. Bring opposite points of pastry up over the apple. Overlap, moisten with water and seal. Carefully lift the pastry-wrapped apple and place it in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining apples, pastry squares, cinnamon sugar mixture and butter.
• Pour hot syrup evenly over the tops and around the dumplings.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the crust on each dumpling is golden brown and apples are cooked all the way through. You can test the apples by poking them with a fork or skewer.
• Serve warm with the hot syrup that's in the bottom of the baking dish and ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

AUNT MAMIE'S

Steps:

• Beat together cream cheese and margarine until well blended. Add flour, mixing well. Shape into a ball, cover and chill for 2 hours.
• In saucepan over medium heat, cook sugar and milk, stirring occasionally until milk boils and sugar is dissolved. Add the ground nuts. Remove from heat and let cool until mixture is of spreading consistency.
• Roll out chilled dough on lightly floured surface to a rectangle about 18 X 12 inches. Cut in half lengthwise. Spread each piece with milk/nut filling and roll up like a jelly-roll, starting from the long side.
• Cut each roll in half. Place seam side down on ungreased cookie sheets (two on a baking sheet). Leaving roll's shape intact, cut into slices 1/2 inch thick almost to the bottom of the roll.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes or till done. Remove from sheet and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Cool on racks. Cut cookies all the way through. Refrigerate or freeze. Re-sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.
• Variations: A) In place of milk/sugar/nut filling, spread with ground filberts and red raspberry preserves. B) Before rolling, sprinkle chopped chocolate chips over milk/sugar/nuts filling.