Alaskan Cranberry Dumplings Recipes

ALASKAN CRANBERRY DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Place the cranberries in a saucepan, cover with water, and simmer until the berries have burst and the water is colored. Drain, reserving the liquid. Set both aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together the sifted flour, salt, and baking powder. With a pastry blender or a couple of knives, cut in the chilled butter until the mixture is a bit smaller than pea-sized.
• Make a well in the middle of the mixture, then pour in the milk and quickly stir it until it just sticks together to form a dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently for no more than 10 times. Wrap the dough loosely in waxed paper and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
• About 60 minutes before you intend to serve the dumplings, roll out the dough on a lightly floured board until it is about 1/4-inch thick, and cut into 4-inch squares.
• Fill the center of each square with a bit of the cooked cranberries (you can put each square into one of those tiny mini-muffin tins, to make it easier) and sprinkle each generously with sugar and cinnamon to taste. Wet the edges with a small amount of water (not too much!), fold the dumplings over and pinch them closed. Prick the tops.
• Re-heat the reserved cranberry juice from the berry cooking in a saucepan to simmering. Cook the dumplings in the juice (in batches, if necessary) for about 15 minutes until done. If you don't have enough liquid from cooking the berries, you can augment with commercially prepared unsweetened cranberry juice with water added until it tastes like the cooking liquid.
• Goes really well with duck, pork, and turkey dishes.
• Note: if you're in a hurry, you can also use wonton wrappers instead of making your own dough. If you use them, the cooking time for the dumplings will be less.

CRANBERRY APPLE DUMPLINGS WITH CRIMSON SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease bottom of jelly roll pan, 15 1/2x10 1/2x1 inch, or large cookie sheet with shortening. In 1-quart saucepan, heat cranberry sauce, orange juice and candies over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is hot and candies are melted; remove from heat.
• In medium bowl, cut shortening into flour and salt, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary). Roll pastry into rectangle, 18x16 inches. Cut pastry into four 8-inch squares, using pastry cutter or knife. Cut leaves from remaining 2-inch piece of pastry, using small leaf-shape cutter, pastry cutter or knife.
• Place apple on each pastry square. Spoon 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce mixture into center of each apple. Sprinkle each apple with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Moisten corners of pastry squares. Bring 2 opposite corners of pastry up over apple; pinch to seal. Repeat with remaining corners; pinch edges of pastry to seal. Decorate with pastry leaves. Place dumplings in pan. Brush with egg; sprinkle with additional sugar.
• Bake about 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Garnish each dumpling with mint leaf. Serve warm with remaining sauce mixture.