APPLE DUMPLING BAKED IN CARAMEL SAUCE

This is the best dessert I have had in a long time.The photograph does not do it justice; a whole apple, seasoned with butter and cinnamon sugar, wrapped in some pie crust and baked in a caramel sauce...holy macaroni, it's good.

3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter flavored Crisco
1/3 cup cold water
8 medium tart apples (see note)
8 teaspoons butter
9 teaspoons cinnamon sugar (divided)

Sauce:
1 & 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, cubed

In a large bowl, cut the Crisco into the flour and salt until it is crumbly; add the water and mix with your hands until the dough comes together. Press into a smooth disk and wrap it in plastic wrap for about 30 minutes.

Peel and core the apples and cut a slice off of the bottom so that the apple sits straight, set aside.

Divide your dough crust into 8 pieces. Lightly flour your counter and roll each piece out to a 7" x 7" square. Sit the cored apple on one of the squares and put one teaspoon of butter and one teaspoon of cinnamon sugar into the hollow of the apple. Gently pull up the corners of the dough (one at a time) to the top of the apple and pinch the edges together (pinch off extra dough). Wherever dough overlaps, wet the edges just a little (with a finger dipped in water) and the dough will stick together better. Don't worry about neatness at this point; just make sure the dough covers the entire apple and the "seams" are pinched together.

If you want to get fancy, freehand some leaves made out of dough scraps and place them at the top of the apple (dab a tiny bit of water to back of leaves).
Repeat with other seven apples. Place the completed apples in a greased 9" x 13" baking dish and sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over the top; set aside.

In a saucepan, mix 1 & 1/2 cups brown sugar (packed tight), one cup of water and 1 /2 cup of butter (cubed). Bring this to a full rolling boil (stirring) and then remove from heat (it will be thin). Spoon this sauce over the completed apples (use all of the sauce).

Bake in preheated 350 oven for 45 minutes or until apples are tender. Baste the apples every 15 minutes or so with the sauce that is in the bottom of the pan.

NOTE: I made these with medium size apples (which made a huge serving). Next time I make these, I am going to use the small lunch box size apples and I'll adjust the baking time.

NOTE: The caramel sauce in the bottom of the pan, thickens and picks up some of the cinnamon flavor. It is outrageously delicious spooned over the ice cream that is mandatory in this recipe.

NOTE: The actual cooking time will depend on the size and variety of apple. The recipe called for a tart apple, so I used a Granny Smith. I suggest that you start testing your dumpling after it has baked for 30 minutes (if you are using a small apple) and 40 minutes if you are using a regular size apple; a toothpick will tell you how soft the apple is inside the dumpling.