Apple Gook (Holiday Favorites- Year Two: Volume 9; December, 2011)

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 hour, 30 min
Ready in: 2 hours
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
CRUST:
3 c. flour
1 1/3 c. shortening
1 tsp. salt
8- 10 T. ice cold water

FILLING:
6 apples
2/3 c. + 4- 5 T. sugar
1 T. + 4- 5 tsp. cinnamon
4- 5 T. butter

TOPPING:
2 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. sugar
3 c. water
4 T. butter

GARNISH options:
Half-and-half
Whipped cream
Vanilla ice cream

Directions:
- Chill bowl, pastry blender, and shortening
- Mix flour and salt together
- Cut in shortening with chilled pastry blender until chunks are about pea size
- Add ice water, 1 T. at a time, until you can form a ball
- Put dough in the refrigerator
- Peel and thinly slice apples
- Add 2/3 c. sugar and 1 T. cinnamon and mix well
- Divide dough into 4- 5 pieces
- Roll each piece out into a thin circle
- Divide filling evenly between rounds
- Sprinkle 1 T. sugar and 1 T. cinnamon, and place 1 T. butter on each
- Fold dough over filling to meet in the middle
- Place each dumpling into a large, glass, baking dish
- Bake at 350 until apples are cooked and dough is light brown, about 1 hour
- While they are baking, mix together topping ingredients in a sauce pan
- Bring to a boil for 2 min
- Set aside
- Pour over cooked dumplings
- With sauce, bake another 20 min
- Serve hot with half-and-half, whipping cream, or ice cream