Trisha's Apple Dumplings

 OK, seriously, before I say another thing, I have to tell you that this is one of my favorite desserts that I've ever made. I'm not even kidding. My favorite thing ever is vanilla ice cream melting down over a piping hot apple dessert, and this one is right up there with the best of them.
 I saw Trisha Yearwood making this recipe on her cooking show, and immediately placed it squarely in the "how can this not be good?" category. It's easy to do, makes the house smell heavenly while it's baking, and it's delicious enough to serve for a special occasion or holiday dinner. I made this when I had some friends over to kick off my week of birthday celebrating, and everyone agreed that it's pretty freakin' amazing!
So I'll just this this: If you like apples and cinnamon, you simply MUST make this, and that's just all there is to it!

2 Granny Smith apples
1 lemon
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 canned buttermilk biscuits
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Peel, core and slice the apples vertically into 8 slices each. Squeeze the lemon into a bowl of water and add the apple slices to keep from turning brown.

In a medium saucepan, mix 1 cup water, 3/4 cup of the sugar, the butter and vanilla. Bring the sugar mixture to a boil over medium heat. Separate each biscuit into 2 layers. Wrap a biscuit layer around a slice of apple, stretching the biscuit slightly to overlap, and seal on the bottom. Place the wrapped slices, sealed-side down, in a 9- by 12- by 2-inch casserole dish. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the apple slices. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture over the tops of the wrapped apples. Bake until golden brown, 35 minutes.

 

Tips:

You can serve this with whipped cream, of course, but I definitely feel that vanilla ice cream is the way to go on this one. 

Be sure to use Granny Smith apples. You can use a sweeter apple, but you really want the tartness of the Granny Smith, plus it holds up wel when you bake it.

I don't have any other tips or variations to offer because the recipe is pretty much perfect as it is! I wouldn't change a thing!!