Apple Dumplings Stuffed with Dry Fruits and served with Homemade Caramel Sauce

Direction for pate brisee:

Heap the flour on a counter and make a well. Put in the butter, salt, sugar, and eggs. Using your finger-tips, mix, and cream these ingredients together.

Little by little, draw in the flour, working the dough delicately until it has a grainy texture.

Add the milk and incorporate gently with your finger-tips until the dough begins to hold together.

Using the palm of your hand, work the dough by pushing it away from you 4 or 5 times until smooth. Roll it into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill until ready to use.

Pate brisee will keep perfectly in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Direction for caramel sauce:

To prepare the caramel sauce, place ½ cup water in a large saucepan. Add the sugar and corn syrup and cook the mixture over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until you have a dark amber caramel about 10 minutes. Carefully whisk in the butter, cream, and crème Fraiche ( the mixture will hiss and bubble up so stand back), whisking until smooth. (The caramel can be made up to 5 days ahead and refrigerated.)

Direction for apple dumplings: 

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a small bowl, mix dried fruit, butter, lemon zest, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Peel apples. With a melon baller, remove cores but do not go all the way through to the bottom. Stuff dried fruit mixture into apples.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and let stand for 5 minutes. Divide the disk into 4 equal pieces. Working in batches, on a floured surface, roll out a piece of dough 1/8 inch thick and about 8 inches square. Place an apple in the center of the dough square. Pull the dough around the apple and gently tie the corners together. Press to shape; seal edges. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and apples.

Transfer the wrapped apples to a baking sheet and brush the dough with the egg mixture. Bake until the dough is golden brown and cooked through, about 40-50 minutes. Remove the apple dumplings from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve with warmed caramel sauce.