Page 27 - May 2023 News On 7

TICKLING YOUR TASTE BUDS

PIONEER WOMANS APPLE DUMPLINGS
Ingredients :
1 large apple {I used a Fuji- any apple will do, tart is better}
1 can Pillsbury Crescent dough
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup or 6 oz. 7-Up or equivalent {half the can}
Directions :
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8 baking dish.
Cut each apple into 8-10 wedges.
Slice the apple skin off as well and set aside.
Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles.
Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the wide end.
Pinch to seal and cover apple and place in the baking dish. {This is easier if you first pat the apple wedge dry, then wrap
dough around it.}
Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Heat, whisking to combine.
The mixture will slowly combine and thicken. When it’s thickened, remove from heat and add vanilla.
Pour cinnamon mixture over the apple dumplings. Pour soda over the dumplings. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the
preheated oven, or until golden brown!!!

HOMEMADE PITA BREAD
Ingredients:
3/4 cup warm water
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons), active dry yeast
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 3/4 cups bread flour (469 grams), plus more for dusting(all purpose flour will do)
1 -1/2 teaspoons sea salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl
3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, combine the water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let the mixture sit until it’s foamy on top, about 5
minutes. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, salt, and remaining
tablespoon sugar. Add the yeast mixture, oil, and yogurt, and mix to combine. Knead the dough, either in the stand
mixer or on a clean work surface, adding more flour if needed, until it’s soft and slightly sticky, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer
the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and let rise until it’s doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 500°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a clean work
surface and divide it into 12 equal balls. Cover and let rise an additional 20 minutes. Roll the balls out into circles that are
1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Place them onto the baking sheets an inch apart, then bake, one sheet at a time, until they’re puffy
and lightly browned on top. Begin checking at 5 minutes. We bake them for about 8 minutes, rotating the pan after the 5
minute mark if one side of the sheet is puffing up more than the other. Transfer the pitas to a wire rack to cool.
To cook pita on stovetop:
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. (Test by adding a couple drops of water to the skillet, the skillet is ready
when the beads of water sizzle immediately). Drizzle a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil and wipe off any excess. Working
with one pita at a time, lay a rolled-out pita on the skillet and bake for 30 seconds, until bubbles start to form. Using a
spatula, flip the pita over and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, until large toasted spots appear on the underside.
Flip again and cook another 1-2 minutes to toast the other side. The pita is ready when it puffs up forming a pocket
(sometimes, with this method, the pita may not puff or may only form a small pocket. Try pressing the surface of the pita
gently with a clean towel). Keep baked pita covered with a clean towel while you work on the rest.