Apple Pecan Dumplings

You’ll Need:

Pastry for 3 pie shells
2 oranges
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 medium cooking apples
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 to 3 tablespoons cold butter or margarine
2 tablespoons broken pecans

Procedures : Grate 2 tablespoons orange peel; squeeze orange juice. Measure and add water to make 1 cup.

In a saucepan, mix 1/2 cup of each sugar with flour; add grated orange peel and juice. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and clears, about 3 minutes.

Pare, core and cut apples into 3 horizontal slices. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Cut cold butter into 6 pieces.

Roll pastry 1/8-inch thick; cut into six 7-inch squares. Place 1 apple slice on each; sprinkle 1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar. Top with second apple slice; press 1 piece butter into center of apples; sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Brush pastry edges with water. Wrap around apples. Pinch to seal. Place dumplings in 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Spoon some orange sauce over dumplings; bake 10 minutes. Spoon over more sauce. Bake 10 minutes. Repeat, sprinkling with pecans. Bake 15 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Pastry
1 pie shell
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold lard or shortening
2 or 3 tablespoons chilled club soda, lemon-lime or
other flavored soda or ice water

Combine flour and salt. Cut in lard to make a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of cold soda, tossing with a fork to mix. Repeat until flour is moistened and can be pressed into a ball. Shape into 1 flat rounded ball if making 1 pie shell; 2 balls for 2 pie shells or 1 double crust pie. Wrap ball in plastic wrap or wax paper and let rest for 5 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 ball into an 11- to 13-inch circle to fit an 8-, 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Fold into quarters or roll around rolling pin and transfer to pie plate. Follow directions for pastry on apple pecan dumplings.