This is, hands down, one of our favorite recipes in this entire book. On the first chilly autumn day, there is nothing that can compete with these warming pastries.

Prepare:

Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Generously butter a baking dish large enough to hold the dumplings with 1 to 2 inches between each one, such as an 11 × 7-inch dish or a 12-inch oval gratin dish. Peel and core (leaving them whole):

Or peel, halve lengthwise, and core:

Mix with a fork in a small bowl until blended:

Add and mix well:

Fill the whole apples with the mixture and pat any remaining mixture on top of the fruit, or, if using apple halves, fill the hollows with the mixture and reserve any remaining. Set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 18 × 12-inch rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. Cut into six 6-inch squares, then roll each square a little larger, into a 7-inch square. Lightly brush with:

Place an apple in the middle of each square. If using apple halves, place cut side down and spread the remaining sugar mixture over the rounded tops of the apples. For each square, bring the 4 corners of the dough up around the apple and pinch the corners and edges of the dough together. Prick the top of each pastry several times with a fork. Place the dumplings in the baking dish and bake for 10 minutes. While the dumplings bake, make the syrup. Combine in a small saucepan:

Stir until the sugar is dissolved, bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. Pour the boiling syrup over the dumplings when they begin to color, 10 to 15 minutes into the cooking time. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake until the apples are tender when pierced with a small knife, 30 to 35 minutes more. Baste the apples with the syrup every 10 minutes or so to form a glaze and flavor the crust. If the dumplings start to brown too quickly, loosely cover with foil.

Let cool slightly. Serve warm with: