“If possible, have a good orchard,” wrote Dr. Samuel Johnson to his friend (and eventual biographer) James Bowell “I know a clergyman of small income who brought up a family very reputably, which he chiefly fed on apple dumplings!”
The Heirloom Orchardist would have found humor in that statement. At least I hope so. I have to believe that Dr. Johnson meant it to be heard with a chuckle. As they are today, apples were grown for several reasons in eighteenth century England. They were eaten out of hand, they were fed to livestock, they were brought to market. And of course, they made into all sorts of apple treats...including dumplings.
But how did The Heirloom Orchardist make an apple dumpling? A February 4, 1888 issue of Good Houskeeping Magazine gets us started with this:
"Undoubtedly, the dumplings of our ancestors were composed largely of suet and though suited to the gross customs of those times would not be in favor to-day. Yet instead of throwing aside the dish on this account, we may make them more in accord with modern ideas."
Suet? Really? "Gross customs," indeed. Let's get to those "modern ideas" of 1888. Good Housekeeping continues:
"Our dumplings may be steamed, boiled or baked. Formerly each one was tied in a well-floured cloth and boiled, but steamers make the preparation easier for us. The dumplings may be put side by side on a plate and that be set in the steamer, or they may be put separately in cups. If they are to be baked, it is desirable to put them quite close together in a pan, and put a bit of butter on top of each one and sprinkle a little sugar over all. This makes a crisp brown crust."
A bit of butter, a sprinkle of sugar, and a crisp brown crust...now we're talkin'. Let's end with Lydia Maria Gurney's recipe, as provided in her 1913 book entitled "Things Mother Used to Make":
Baked Apple Dumplings
"Take rich pie crust, roll thin as for pie and cut into rounds as large as a tea plate. Pare and slice fine, one small apple for each dumpling. Lay the apple on the crust, sprinkle on a tiny bit of sugar and nutmeg, turn edges of crust over the apple and press together. Bake in a hot oven for twenty minutes. Serve hot with cold sauce."
