Gluten Free Salted Caramel Apple Dumplings

Yes, it’s true. My absolute favorite characteristic in a dessert is the seamless pairing of the salty with the sweet. When I was growing up, my mother made baked apples with butter, cinnamon, sugar and wrapped them in her flakey pie crust. I’ve created my own version of her nostalgic masterpiece by filling my apples with salted caramel in lieu of the butter, cinnamon and sugar, but I went ahead and included her recipe so you can see where the inspiration came from. Like my shrimp barquettes, I’ve enhanced my pate brisée with some white wine, which, in gluten free baking, is key to getting that buttery flakiness that expertly crumbles beneath the tines of your fork.

You can also roll the caramels into beautiful little balls, garnished with a pinch a celtic sea salt for an additional treat and are a beautiful gift for your friends.

These are best served warm with a generous scoop of ice cream and there are no substitutions in this regard.

Salted Caramel Apple Dumplings

1 recipe pate brisée, below
6 red delicious apples, cored and peeled
1 recipe salted caramel, below

Paté Brisée

¾ cup + 2 tablespoons glutinous rice flour
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
¼ cup sorghum flour
½ cup arrowroot
¼ cup cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons guar gum
¼ teaspoon fleur de sel
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 ½ sticks unsalted cultured butter, diced

3 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
2 whole eggs
2 tablespoons vino verde wine

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine all the dry ingredients. Mix on the lowest setting to amalgamate.

Add the diced butter and cream into the dry ingredients until you can no longer see any large clumps and the dough looks like damp soft soil. Add the cream cheese and the two eggs and mix on medium speed until well combined. Finish with the vino verde. Mix until the dough folds in on itself and forms a soft ball.

Turn the dough out onto a very clean counter lightly dusted with glutinous rice flour and knead just until it forms a nice smooth ball. Wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Salted Caramel

2/3 cup heavy cream
¾ cup castor sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon water
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons tupelo honey
3 tablespoons unsalted cultured butter
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla
1 teaspoon fluer de sel like Le Saunier de Camargue

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, bring the cream, sugars, corn syrup and water to a boil, whisking to insure the sugars do not settle on the bottom of the pan and burn. Boil until it reaches 250°F on your candy thermometer.

Immediately remove from the oven and whisk in the butter, vanilla, and the teaspoon of sea salt. Cover loosely with foil and set on a cool part of the stove while you prepare your apples.

Peel and core your apples, being careful not to drive through the bottom of the apple, while making sure you get all the fiberous bits out of the middle, like the seeds.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Roll out your dough on a clean counter dusted with glutinous rice flour and cut the dough into 5” squares. Place one of the apples in the center of the square. Trim the bottom of the apple so that it sits flat if necessary. Lightly dust the apple flesh, both inside and out with castor sugar.

Carefully spoon caramel into apple. Dip your finger in some water and drag it along the edges of the dough. Wrap the apple in the dough, sealing the seams with your finger and more water if necessary. Repeat until all of your apples are covered.

Place in a 9 x 13” roasting pan and bake for about 40 minutes and the dumplings are golden brown.

If you have left over caramel, scoop out a teaspoon of the caramel out, roll into a ball between the palms of your hands and garnish with a tiny pinch of celtic sea salt. These make great gifts and are fabulous for a little treat when you need it.

Serves 6

My Mom’s Variation:

Instead of the caramel filling, combine ¾ cup light brown sugar, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 heaping teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Whisk together.

Add a healthy dollop of salted butter, at room temp. to the center of the cored apple, and then fill the remainder of the way with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Follow the remainder of the recipe as listed.