(Whoops, this was supposed to go up Friday. I guess I’ll have to double post today. Jeez.)

This is probably horrible, but in my world feast days are days where calories and healthy living don’t exist. The rest of the year I will worry about it, but give me butter or give me death on my high holy days.

Right now I’m in the process of working up a feast for my father, step-mother, and boyfriend for Fall Equinox. The menu is looking varied. I have a vegetarian and a diabetic at the table for this meal, so I’m working with a lot of restrictions. So it might be death instead of butter when it comes to some things.

Therefore, I suggest – Nay, I demand – that you make these to share with your loved ones on the Fall Equinox.

Note: I eyeball a lot of things. The crust isn’t eyeballed, but the dumpling part is. Allow for some give or take the first time you make this.

My Favorite Apple Dumplings

Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. of salt
½ cups canola oil
½ cup ice water

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt.
2. Stir in the oil and 3 T of the ice water.
3. Slowly add more water to form stiff dough
4. Chill
5. Divide dough in half and roll out as directed in specific recipes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Apple Dumplings

The crust you made above OR two 9” pre-made crusts (but trust me that the crust above is so easy that you might as well do it)
6 medium tart apples (I like Granny Smiths or Jonathans, but any apple will do in a pinch)
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
3 T butter
1 t cinnamon
¼ t nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cup cinnamon
more butter

1. Roll out dough a little less than 1/8” thick and cut into 6-7” squares
2. Pare and core your apples
3. Boil the next 5 ingredients (sugar, water, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg) for three minutes to make a syrup.
4. Fill apple cavities with mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
5. Dot each cavity with butter (I use about ½ T on each one, but feel free to use a lot less!)
6. Bring each corner of your pastry crust up over the apple. Moisten. Seal.
7. Carefully move dumpling to a sturdy baking dish. (I use a 9×13 and it gives it a little extra room)
8. Pour the hot syrup around but not onto the dumplings
9. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until apples are soft and crust is a pretty golden brown
10. Serve warm with syrup drizzled over the dumplings and possibly some good vanilla icecream.
11. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.