"a fairly time-consuming recipe...The pastry dough can be made a day in advance or packaged dough substituted."
Pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chilled margarine or butter
4 Tblsp lard or shortening
1/3 to 1/2 cup ice water
Mix flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add butter and lard. Cut into flour with knives (or pastry cutter) until mixture is "sandy". Sprinkle 1/3 cup water over the flour and mix with a fork. Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate.
Dumplings:
6 Red Delicious apples, peeled and cored
lemon juice
1/2 cup raisins soaked in water for 30 minutes or so
butter
brown sugar
Syrup:
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 Cups water
2 Tblsp butter
Roll the pastry to 1/4" and cut into six squares. Place an apple on each square, sprinkle with lemon juice and fill the hollowed out apple with raisins. Top with 1/4 tsp butter and 1/2 tsp brown sugar. Brush the edge of the crust with water, pull up the sides of the pastry, and pinch closed so the apple is completely covered. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate half an hour.
Meanwhile make the syrup: combine the syrup ingredients in a heavy saucepan, bring to a boil over moderate heat, and boil gently for 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 425F. Brush the dumplings with some of the syrup and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F and bake 30 minutes longer, brushing dumplings with the syrup every 10 minutes or so. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla icecream.
Source: Classroom Cooking: Recipes for Teachers and Children by Jamien Morehouse (C)1978
