APPLE DUMPLINGS WITH MAPLE-CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. With pastry blender or two knives used scissors fashion, cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the cider, 1 Tbsp at a time, tossing with fork after each addition, unti pastry holds together to form a dough. Shape dough into two 1/2 in. thick squares; wrap separately in plastic wrap. Chill. 2.Preheat oven to 375. With melon-ball scoop, core apples, leaving 1/2 in. of core intact at bottom of each apple. Peel 2/3 of each apple leaving peel on bottom 1/3. In bowl, mix brown sugar, currants, walnuts and butter; pack mixture into cored portion of each apple. 3. On lightly floured surface, with lightly floured rolling pin, roll out 1 dough square to 21 1/2 x 7 1/2" rectangle.; trim to 21 x 7" saving scraps. Cut into (3) 7" squares; place an apple, filling side up, on each square. Brush some egg mixture over edges of dough. Lift opposite corners of dough squares over apples; pinch to seal, making 4 seems. Press seams flat onto pasty to conform to apple shape; brush dumpling with egg mixture. Reroll dough scraps; cut out leaves. With knife, make vein marks on leaves. While egg mixture is still wet, attach leaves to dumpling. Repeat with remaining apples, dough and egg mixture. Insert cinnamon stick "stem in top of each dumpling. Place dumplings in 13 x 9 x2" pan. Bake 40 minutes 4. Meanwhile, make Maple-Cider Sauce: In small saucepan, mix cornstarch and cider until smooth. Add remaining ingredients; mix. Heat to boiling over medium heat; boil 1 minute. 5. After apples bake 40 minutes. pour sauce over them; bake 15 minutes longer or until apples are tender when tested with wooden skewer inserted through lower third of dumplings. 6. Make Maple Whipped cream: In bowl, beat ingredients until stiff. Serve with dumplings.