Fall is speeding toward us! Well, perhaps not as quickly here in San Diego, but elsewhere in the country folks are beginning to bundle up and look forward to the holidays. Fall also signifies the start of apple season and a prime time for those of us who enjoy the age-old art of baking. I picked up the following delicious recipe about nine years ago in Intercourse, Pennsylvania, where a community of Amish people live without cars, electricity, and various other modern amenities. Although the Amish people’s eco-friendly lifestyle is dictated by religious belief, I’d like to share this recipe with you all as a toast to these Americans who prove that a very low impact life is still possible – and can be as rich as one of these simple homemade dumplings!

Amish Apple Dumplings
(The challenge here is to attempt all organic ingredients- good luck!)

2 cups organic flour
1 tea. Salt
2/3 cup organic, unsalted cold butter
½ cup cold water
6 small organic apples peeled and cored (granny smith works well, but sweeter apples are fine, too)
1 ½ cups organic sugar
1 t Cinnamon
2 cups water
2 Tb. Butter

Mix together the flour and the salt. Cut the cold butter into the mixture with knives or a pastry cutter. Add the cold water one tablespoon at a time until the mixture barely comes together. Roll the dough out to an 18 x 12 inch square – or about ¼-inch thick. Cut the large square into six smaller squares.
Combine ¾ cup of the sugar with the cinnamon and spoon the mixture into the empty core of each apple (about two tablespoons per apple). Place 1 teaspoon of butter on top of the sugar/cinnamon mixture in each apple. Next, place each apple atop a six inch pastry square.

Moisten the edges of the square with a little water and bring the pastry together over the top of the apple.
On the stove top, dissolve the remaining ¾ cup of sugar with 2 cups of water. Place apples evenly in a 9x13x2 inch pan and pour the hot liquid sugar mix around them. Bake the whole mess at 350 degrees for around 45 minutes – or until the pastry around the apple gets golden brown.

Enjoy these scrumptious hotties with your favorite vanilla ice cream!