Apple Dumplings

This is my mother in law's recipe. My husband loves it. We make two large dumplings to share, but you could easily make 4 smaller dumplings with this recipe.

When I'm lazy, I'll make an apple cobbler. See cobbler recipe below, after the dumpling recipe.

Making the dough is super quick if you use a food processor.

Apple Dumplings:
Dough:
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
4 Tbsp shortening
milk, enough to make a soft dough

Filling:
2 sweet apples
1 Tbsp lemon juice
cinnamon sugar

Sauce:
1 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 tsp butter
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Place a steamer basket into a large saucepan. Fill with enough water to not quite touch the bottom of the basket. Bring to a boil. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Cut in the shortening. Roll out the dough and cut into two pieces. Peel and slice the apples. Toss with lemon juice. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Place half the apple mixture on each piece of dough. Pull up the edges to create a pouch and pinch closed. Place the dumplings in the steamer basket. Cover and steam 30-40 minutes, or until the dough is done and the apples are tender. Check the water level occasionally to make sure it doesn't boil dry. Add a little boiling water to the pan if needed. While the dumplings are steaming, make the sauce. In a saucepan, bring the sugar, milk, and butter to barely a boil. Mix the cornstarch with a little water and add to the hot mixture. Barely boil 1 minute to thicken. Add the vanilla and nutmeg. Stir well and pour over the hot dumplings. Serve immediately.

Apple Cobbler:
Use the recipe above with these changes:
To the apple filling, add 2 tsp dark brown sugar and 1 tsp corn starch. Mix well. Using pan spray, spray a square baking pan. Place the apple mixture into the pan. Make the dough and roll out. Place the dough on top of the apples to completely cover the top. Cut slits in the dough. Brush with an egg/water mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until the dough is done through.