Fresh Peach Dumplings For The Apple Dumpling Gang By Freda Recipes

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut in the butter flavored shortening using your hands or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the ice water over the dough, and stir until the mixture comes together. Knead the dough briefly, then divide into 6 pieces.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• On a lightly floured surface roll out each piece of dough into a thin circle. Place two peach halves together, and wrap in each circle of dough, sealing at the top. Place the dumplings onto an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake dumplings for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. While the dumplings are baking, make the sauce. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, egg, nutmeg, vanilla and salt using an electric mixer on low speed. Gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar. Spoon over warm dumplings.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Combine the cinnamon, 1/3 cup of sugar, brown sugar and flour. With a pastry blender mix in the butter until it resembles coarse meal.
• Roll out the chilled puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface to a 1/8 inch thickness. Cut the dough into six 7 inch squares. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate.
• Blanch the peaches for 10 seconds in rapidly boiling water. Remove and drain. Peel the peaches, split in half, and remove the pits. Toss the halves in lemon juice and then in the cinnamon mixture. Reassemble the peach halves with the remaining cinnamon mixture in the cavity.
• Remove baking sheet from refrigerator. Place a peach in the center of each square of dough. Paint the edges of the dough with cold water. Bring the points of the square together at the top and pinch the seams together to seal.
• Paint the dumplings with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons of sugar (use crystal sugar for these two tablespoons if you have it available). Prick a few holes around the top to allow steam to escape. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the peaches are tender and the pastry has browned. When dumplings are done, remove from the baking sheet and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
• To serve, spoon some of the sauce onto each serving plate, place dumpling in the center and drizzle some additional sauce over the top. You may serve with vanilla or peach ice cream or peach sorbet (recipe follows).

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and put through a ricer or mash.
• Place the riced potatoes onto a large clean work surface. Crack the egg over the top, then gradually work in the flour with your hands until you get a nice stiff dough. You may not need to use all of the flour, or you may need to use more. This could take as long as 30 minutes, or just seem like it. Let the dough rest for a minute before rolling.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. You may need to roll out 1/2 at a time. cut the dough into 8x8 inch squares - larger or smaller depending on the size of your peaches. Wrap each peach in a square of dough, and pinch all of the seams to seal it in.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the peach dumplings into the water. The peach should be as close to covered with the water as it can get. We usually had 2 or 3 pots with boiling water because you can only fit about 3 to 4 peaches per pot. Boil for 20 minutes, rotating after 10 for even cooking. Remove from water using tongs or a large slotted spoon.
• To serve, place a peach dumpling onto a plate, and cut it up. Remove the pit, and sprinkle with melted butter, sugar and vanilla wafer crumbs.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch pan.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a large rectangle, about 24 by 16 inches. Cut into 6 square pieces. Place an apple on each pastry square with the cored opening facing upward. Cut butter into 8 pieces. Place 1 piece of butter in the opening of each apple; reserve remaining butter for sauce. Divide brown sugar between apples, poking some inside each cored opening and the rest around the base of each apple. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the apples.
• With slightly wet fingertips, bring one corner of pastry square up to the top of the apple, then bring the opposite corner to the top and press together. Bring up the two remaining corners, and seal. Slightly pinch the dough at the sides to completely seal in the apple. Repeat with the remaining apples. Place in prepared baking dish.
• In a saucepan, combine water, white sugar, vanilla extract and reserved butter. Place over medium heat, and bring to a boil in a large saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved. Carefully pour over dumplings.
• Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Place each apple dumpling in a dessert bowl, and spoon some sauce over the top.

Steps:

• Stir water, sugar, and butter together in a pot over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture has a syrupy texture, 5 to 10 minutes. Add peaches to syrup; bring to a boil.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Stir milk into flour mixture until a stiff batter forms.
• Drop batter by large spoonfuls into boiling peach syrup; cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat to medium, and cook until dumplings are set, about 20 minutes.