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A baked Apple-Cranberry Dumpling with ice cream on a purple plate

Apple-Cranberry Dumplings

Course: Sweets
Cuisine: North American
Keyword: apple, cranberry, dumpling, puff pastry
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 1595kcal
Author: Marta Rivera
This easy to make sugar-and-spice filled dumpling is what your fall dessert plate needs.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • rolling pin
  • pastry cutter
  • pastry brush

Ingredients

Sugar and Spice Mixture

  • 3 1/4 ounces (90g or 1/2 cup) light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Apple-Cranberry Dumplings

  • 4 large (approx. 1 kilo or 2 1/4 pounds) Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
  • 1- 1 1/4 pound (about 450-490g) puff pastry dough, homemade or store bought (thawed if frozen)
  • 1 ounce (30g or 1/3 cup) graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 1/2 ounces (68g or 1/2 cup) dried cranberries

Egg Wash

  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon cold water

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400F.
    In a small mixing bowl combine the light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger together. Set aside.
  • Whisk together the egg yolk and water (for the egg wash) until smooth. Set this aside as well.
  • Use a heavy rolling pin to roll the puff pastry out into a 18"x18" large square. Cut out four smaller squares* using a pastry cutter.
    Pour a heaping tablespoon of the graham crackers crumbs onto the center of a square of dough, then put an apple in the center of the graham crumbs.
  • Fill the center of each apple with 1-2 tablespoons of the sugar-spice mix. You may need more or less of the sugar based on the tartness of each apple.
    Add a generous pinch of cranberries- about 2 tablespoons- to the apple's center followed by a little more of the sugar-spice mixture.
  • Bring a corner of puff pastry square over the top of the apple. Use a pastry brush to brush a small amount of egg wash on top of this piece of dough. Hold the corner in place while you lift the opposite corner up to to cover the first corner.
    Press the new flap down to seal it with the first one. Brush more egg wash onto the top and side flaps of the dough.
  • Bring up the third corner of dough, folding the sides in to encase them in the flap that you're bringing up. Press the top of the dough to seal it before repeating with the last corner of dough.
    Be sure to press the dough firmly to ensure it's sealed well.
  • Once the apples are wrapped, pierce the dough on four sides of the apple with the tines of a fork. These vents allow the steam to escape.
    Transfer the apples to a 9"x13" baking dish and brush the dough with more egg wash. Decorate the tops of the apples with puff pastry leaves and a stem, if you'd like.
  • Bake the apple-cranberry dumplings for 40-45 minutes, or until they're deep golden brown color and crisp on the outside.
  • Once your apple-cranberry dumplings are fully baked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes before plating them.
    Serve the apple-cranberry dumplings on their own, with a couple of scoops of Vanilla Frozen Custard, or with a generous drizzle of Crème Anglaise Sauce or Caramel Sauce.

Notes

When cutting your smaller squares, be sure they are big enough to wrap each apple without your having to pull the dough. Pulled dough will shrink back as it bakes leaving your apples exposed.
To Prepare Ahead: Place the unbaked apple-cranberry dumplings in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake them. 
To Freeze Apple Dumplings: freeze the wrapped apples until solid, then transfer them to a freezer storage bag. Thaw the dumplings in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours prior to baking them.

Nutrition

Calories: 1595kcal | Carbohydrates: 159g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 99g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 691mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 61IU | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 7mg