Whole Apple Dumplings

Preheat oven to 410-420 degrees.

Spray an 8×8 or larger baking dish with cooking spray (thoroughly!) and set aside. The cinnamon and sugar tend to caramelize and stick to the pan otherwise.

Apple prep:

Take the skin off the apple; if you prefer to leave it on, that’s ok. Core the apples by scraping out the inside with a mellon baller or core it and cut off a piece to plug the bottom.

Wrapping the apples:

Roll out the pre-made pie crusts on a clean surface (you may have to bring them to room temperature or at least not refrigerator-cold so it doesn’t stick to itself when you unroll it).

Score the dough down the center and place one apple on each cut piece. Fill each apple center with sugar and top with cinnamon. I use a lot of cinnamon and also dust the inside crust with it to give it more flavor. But this is your preference. Top with a pad of butter.

Start wrapping the apples by bringing one long side up and over the apple at a time. Press the dough together, making sure you don’t stretch it too much as it will cause rips under the apple. Continue until the apple is fully wrapped.

Place in the baking dish approximately 1″ apart. Either dab the tops with water or spray with cooking spray and sprinkle sugar on top. Cook for 35-45 minutes. The outsides should be brown.