Recipe: Beau Knot Apple Dumplings with Lemon Sauce (1970's)

BEAU KNOT APPLE DUMPLINGS

FOR THE PASTRY DOUGH:
3 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup water
FOR THE APPLES:
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 small Winesap apples, peeled and cored
FOR SERVING:
Hot Nutmeg Lemon Sauce (recipe follows)

TO PREPARE THE PASTRY:
Sift flour and salt into large mixing bowl; cut in shortening and cheese with pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle 1/2 cup water over mixture a tablespoonful at a time, stirring with a large fork until dough holds together. Measure out 1/2 cup dough and save for making bow knots.

TO PREPARE THE APPLES:
Cream butter with brown sugar in small bowl; add walnuts and spices; stuff this mixture into prepared apples.

Divide dough into 6 parts, then roll each part to an 8-inch square on a lightly floured pastry cloth or board. Place a stuffed apple in the center of each square; using a pastry brush, moisten edges of dough with water. Fold pastry up and around apple; pinch edges to seal. Place each of the 6 dumplings in a 13x9x2-inch pan.

Roll out the dough saved for bow knots into a 6-inch square; cut into 12 strips, each 1/2-inch wide. To make bow, loop ends of one strip of dough toward center, fold a second strip over the middle. Moisten top of dumplings (attach 2 strips of dough as streamers if desired) and place bow on each dumpling, pressing down lightly at middle. Attach to top of dumplings with toothpicks. Make 12 small rolls of foil, about 1 1/2-inches long (by shaping around handle of wooden spoon) and stick through loops so bows will hold their shape while baking.

Bake at 425 degrees F until pastry is just golden and apples are tender. Test fruit with a long thin metal skewer or wooden pick. If pastry browns before apples are soft, reduce temperature to 325 degrees F after first 15 minutes. Be careful not to overbrown.

Carefully remove foil rolls by twisting gently to loosen; remove toothpicks. Serve warm with Hot Nutmeg Lemon Sauce.

HOT NUTMEG LEMON SAUCE

1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
dash of salt
dash of nutmeg
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt and nutmeg. Gradually add water. Cook over low heat until thick and clear. Add butter and lemon juice; blend well. Serve over Beau Knot Apple Dumplings.

Source: The Evening Independent newspaper, February 1976