Recipe Review

I really liked how this pie turned out. As expected, it was light and fluffy–exactly how the filling of a custard should be. I thought the level of sweetness was just right, as was the amount of cinnamon and other spices–I like my pumpkin pie to be moderately spiced, so for me it was perfect. And of course, since there was no crust, there were a lot fewer calories, so I didn’t feel as weighed down after having a slice. Although I wouldn’t call this “healthy” or “low-calorie,” there’s no doubt that it’s lighter than the traditional version, so making pumpkin pie without crust is a great option for people who want to cut down on the fat and calories without sacrificing the classic Thanksgiving flavor and texture.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie with Condensed Milk FAQs

More Pumpkin Recipes

If you liked this dessert, be sure to take a look at some of my other fall holiday recipes featuring pumpkin:

Pumpkin Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients – Pumpkin pie filling, cake mix, and butter form the base of this easy Thanksgiving dessert.

The post Crustless Pumpkin Pie with Condensed Milk appeared first on ParnellTheChef.

What Are Apple Dumplings?

Apple Dumplings History

Although the first recipes can be traced back to 18th century England, in the United States apple dumplings are usually associated with Pennsylvania Dutch culture. According to a PAEats.org article, old-fashioned apple dumplings consist of a whole apple, peeled and cored, sometimes stuffed with spices or nuts. The apple is then wrapped in pie crust, covered in a butter sauce, and then baked.

Traditionally, apple dumplings were sometimes eaten for breakfast with milk poured over them. Nowadays, they are often served as a dessert, either plain or with vanilla ice cream.

Modern Recipe Variations

Modern apple dumpling recipes can vary greatly from the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch version. Instead of pie crust, some versions call for wrapping the apples in crescent rolls, puff pastry, or even biscuit dough.

In addition to a buttery sauce, some people add lemon-lime soda such as Mountain Dew or Sprite. Other recipes call for caramel sauce, too. As you can see, modern apple dumpling recipes are very diverse, some differing greatly from the old fashioned version.

How Does My Recipe for Stovetop Apple Dumplings Differ?

Although apple dumplings are delicious, many people shy away from them because peeling, coring, stuffing, and wrapping each apple individually is very time-consuming. Nobody wants to do all that.

However, I’ve made southern-style blackberry dumplings by boiling frozen berries with pie crust, and the result was amazing. So, I started thinking: I wonder if I could do something similar with apples.

At the same time, I saw a recipe by The Hillbilly Kitchen YouTube channel that was basically what I had in mind. Inspired by that video, I decided to give it a try.

Stovetop Apple Dumplings Ingredients

This recipe has two parts: the apples and the dumplings. Let’s go over the ingredients for both:

For the Apples

Apple Slices – I used 1 pound (about 2.5 cups) of sliced apples.

Apple Juice – Usually, I use water to make stovetop dumplings, but since I was making apple dumplings, I decided to use apple juice and water.

Lemon Juice – As with other fruit desserts, lemon helps to bring out the flavor.

Light Brown Sugar – The bit of molasses goes well with apples. Normally, I use light brown sugar, but in the video I used dark brown sugar because that is what I had on hand.

Spices – Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

Salt – Even with desserts, a bit of salt really brings out the flavor.

For the Dumplings

Self-Rising Flour / All-Purpose Flour – If you have self-rising flour, go on and use it. Otherwise, use all-purpose flour and add salt and baking powder (exact measurements down below).

White Sugar – A bit of sweetness never hurts.

Melted Butter – Butter makes everything better.

Vanilla – A bit of vanilla is the secret ingredient in these dumplings.

Milk / Buttermilk or Sour Cream + Water – Regular milk is fine, but I wanted to use up leftover sour cream–besides, the acidity helped to make the dumplings light and fluffy.

What Apples Are Best For Apple Dumplings?

Old-fashioned Pennsylvania Dutch apple dumplings are usually made with Granny Smith apples. Although many chefs cooks with Granny Smith apples because they hold their shape and their tartness balances out with sugar nicely, I prefer to cook with Golden Delicious apples.

Why I Use Golden Delicious Apples in Cooking and Baking

As I explained in my southern apple cobbler with pie crust recipe, I think Golden Delicious apples are superior. They have almost as much pectin as Granny Smith apples, so they hold their shape nicely when baked. Although they are usually tart as well, they also have sweetness, along with more of an apple flavor than green apples.

Additionally, Golden Delicious apples can be traced back to West Virginia, Granny Smith to Australia. Since I like to make southern recipes, it makes sense to use a southern apple. Although I suggest using Golden Delicious apples in this recipe, Granny Smith or any other tart apple will work, I think.

How to Make Stovetop Apple Dumplings

Although learning how to make stovetop apple dumplings is easy, there are a few important steps:

Peel the Apples

As I state in the video, I wanted to see if I could make these dumplings without peeling the apples. Honestly, I thought that boiling the apple slices would soften the apple skins to the point of not being noticeable–but I was proved wrong.

Although the skin did not bother me too much, I highly recommend peeling the apples. Apple skins are a lot tougher than you would think, so they’ll still be noticeably unless you puree the apples to make applesauce. Even though it’s more work, I think the improved texture is worth it.

Add liquid

Once the apple slices are in the pot, it is time to add liquid so that the fruit does not burn. Normally I add water when making cobbler filling or stovetop dumplings, but this time I decided to use 1/2 apple juice and 1/2 water. When making apple dumplings, it just seemed to make sense.

Although using apple juice was good in this recipe, I would recommend using water. Apple juice has some acidity, and since I did no want that much acidity in the final dish, I had to boil the dumplings for a long time. In order to control the acidity and shorten the cook time, I recommend using all water.

Add Lemon

Lemon really brings out fruit flavors, so I make sure to it to berry cobblers. I usually squeeze lemon juice over apples as I slice them for pies and cobblers, the bit of lemon really helping to enhance the flavors.

So, I decided to add 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice to the stovetop dumplings. I only add juice, no zest, because I did not want to overpower the apple with taste of lemon.

Add Sugar and Spices

After adding the lemon and bringing the pot to a boil, it was time to add the sugar and spices. Since the apple juice had natural sugar, I started off with just 1/4 cup sugar, I then added 2 Tablespoons of extra sugar because I did not think it was sweet enough.

Ideally, I would recommend 1/4 cup of light brown sugar (which I didn’t have), and 2 Tablespoons of dark brown sugar. But honestly, you can adjust the sugar to your liking.

I also added spices at this time, too. Whenever I make apple desserts, such as my southern apple cobbler with pie crust, I always use the same combination of spices. So, to this recipe I added:

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

If you’ve never tried this combination of spices with apple desserts, I highly recommend it. It’s enough spice to accentuate the apples, but not so much as to compete with the apples. In my opinion, it is perfect.

Boil the Apples

Once the sugars and spices are in the pot, boil the apples on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You need to make sure the apples on are on their way to getting soft before adding the dumpling.

Spoon Drop Dumplings Ingredients

Although I usually prefer pie crust dumplings, I decided to mix up a batter and make spoon drop dumplings. The dumpling batter had very few ingredients:

1/2 cup Self-Rising Flour*

1/4 cup white sugar

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla – This is the secret ingredient. It really makes the dumplings taste like dessert.

1/4 cup milk or buttermilk**

*Or, you can use all-purpose flour and add 3/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

**Although I would normally have added regular milk or buttermilk, I used 2 Tablespoons of sour cream and 1/4 cup water. Buttermilk or sour cream will help create an acidic environment to make the dumplings fluffy.

Drop In and Cook the Dumplings

After mixing the ingredients together, I used a spoon to drop the raw batter into the pot. Most cooks on the Internet seem to use Tablespoons when dropping in dumpling batter, but I think that 1 teaspoon, maybe 1.5 teaspoons, is the perfect dumplings size.

Once all the dumplings were added to the apples, I continued cooking on medium for 10 minutes. Although I did run my spoon around the edge of the pot, I did not mix thoroughly since I did not want to break up the dumplings.

Serve

10 minutes later, it was time to serve! The apples were tender (except for the skins, which I will get to later), the dumplings were soft and fluffy, and the syrup was sweetened and spices perfectly.

Although these apple dumplings are great on their own, they’re also delicious with vanilla ice cream.

Stovetop Apple Dumplings FAQ’s

Here are quick answers to a few questions that a lot of my readers / followers might have:

Can You Make Apple Dumplings Without Peeling the Apples?

I did not peel the apples when making these dumplings, I highly recommend that you do. Even though the apple flesh was nice and soft, the peels were still noticeable. While this dessert was still very good, the fact that there were small bits of apple peel floating around negatively affected the texture.

Can You Make Dumplings With Pie Crust?

Yes, you can! As I referenced earlier, I usually cut up pieces of pie crust to use as dumplings. In addition to adding pie crust dumplings to cobbler filling, I also add them to stovetop blackberry dumplings, among others.

If you choose to use pie crust dumplings, I would use 1 9-inch pie crust. Simply cut it into strips and then into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces, drop the dumplings into the boiling liquid, and cook for 10 minutes.

Can You Freeze Stewed Apple Dumplings?

Unfortunately, I don’t think apple dumplings would freeze well. My guess is that the dumplings would get soggy and the apple mushy. Considering this, this dessert is best enjoyed immediately after cooking.

A Chef’s Review

Overall, these stovetop apples dumplings were good. Sweetened and spiced perfectly, this would be a great fall or winter treat if you are craving apple pie or cobbler but want something easy.

Even though you can make this recipe without peeling the apples, I highly suggest that you do. I know it’s an extra step that is time-consuming, but it will result in a better culinary experience.

Possible Changes to the Recipe

If I were to make this recipe again, I would:

Peel the apples – Like I said, apple skins do not break down completely, so they through off the texture a bit.

Use different apples – I am curious how this recipe would turn out with Granny Smith apples, or perhaps a combination of apples.

Pie crust dumplings – I usually use pie crust dumplings, so I will have to try those next time.

Other Dumpling Recipes

If you love southern-style dumpling recipes as much as I do, you’re going to want to try:

Peach Dumplings on the Stovetop – Pie crust, sweet syrup, and fruit chunks go together perfectly.

Southern Blackberry Dumplings with Pie Crust – Either fresh or frozen berries can be used to make this classic summertime dessert.

Stovetop Apple Dumplings Recipe

YouTube Video

Be sure to watch my YouTube video tutorial:

The post Stovetop Apple Dumplings Recipe appeared first on ParnellTheChef.

Dump Cake: Easy Pumpkin Recipe with Few Ingredients

What Is a Dump Cake?

Originally created in the mid 20th century, dump cakes are a retro recipe that’s making a comeback. The first recipes called for pouring, or literally “dumping” canned cherry pie filling or crushed pineapple into a baking dish, sprinkling raw cake mix on top, laying pads of butter on top, and then baking. As the cobbler baked in the oven, the butter would melt into the cake mix, turning it into a sweet, crunchy crumble.

Can You Make a Pumpkin Dump Cake?

Although the original dump cake recipe had canned cherry and pineapple, since then professional chefs and home cooks have experimented with other types of canned pie filling, creating new versions. Given the availability of canned pumpkin, I was curious if a pumpkin dump cake would be possible.

Easy Pumpkin Dessert with Few Ingredients

I’m really glad I decided to be a bit adventurous because this pumpkin dump cake was a big success because it was delicious to eat and easy to make. Instead of rolling our pie crust or making pumpkin filling, all I had to do was open a few cans and boxes, pour them into a 9×13 dish, top with butter, and bake. If you’re looking for an easy fall dessert with just a few ingredients, this is it.

Pumpkin Dump Cake Ingredients

Like I said, this recipe is really easy because there are so few ingredients:

Spice Cake Mix – In my opinion, spice cake mix is what really makes this dump cake delicious. The flavors are very similar to the spices in a traditional pumpkin pie, so it works perfectly with the pie filling.

Pumpkin Pie Filling – Just like other kinds of canned pie filling, pumpkin pie filling already has spices and sugar, so you don’t have to add anything else.

Butter – Butter makes everything better, lol

Can You Use Canned Pumpkin?

Yes! Although I used pumpkin pie filling in this recipe, I think you could use 100% pure canned pumpkin as well, provided that you make some changes to the recipe. First, empty the pure pumpkin cans into a bowl, and then add:

1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice – Or, 1 Tablespoon of a combination of spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.

1 cup light brown sugar – I think 1 cup of sugar would be enough for a 9×13 pan, especially since the spice cake mix already has sugar.

Can You Use A Different Type of Cake Mix?

Yes! As previously stated, I think that using spice cake mix is best since it’s so flavorful. However, if all you have is white or yellow cake mix, you can still make this recipe. Just add:

1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice – You could also had 1 Tablespoon of a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other pumpkin pie spices.

How to Make Pumpkin Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients

Although learning how to make pumpkin dump cake with 3 ingredients is easy, it’s still good to go through the steps in detail. This recipe is for a 9×13 dish:

Dump in the Pumpkin Pie Filling

After greasing the 9×13 pan with butter, the first step in the recipe is very straightforward. Hence the name, all you have to do is “dump” the 2 cans of pumpkin pie filling into the baking dish. If using 100% pure pumpkin, pour the contents into a bowl and add the spices and sugar before pouring the soon-to-be cobbler filling into a bowl.

Once the filling is in the baking dish, use a spatula or spoon to smooth it out. You don’t have to be perfect: this is supposed to be an easy, homemade dessert.

Add Extra Cinnamon?

Although both the cake mix and pie filling already have spices, I thought back to similar recipes I had done in the past such as apple dump cake. In those recipes an extra ingredient or two helped make them good, so I decided to add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon by simply sprinkling it on top of the filling.

Looking back, I don’t think the extra cinnamon made a huge difference, but if you want to add some more spice(s), go ahead. I just wouldn’t add more than an extra teaspoon.

Sprinkle on the Spice Cake Mix

After pouring in the filling, smoothing it out, and adding any extra spices, it’s time for the cake mix. Once again, this recipe lives up to its name: all you have to do is “dump” the cake mix into the baking dish by sprinkling it on top of the filling. You do not have to mix: just make sure the raw cake mix is sitting on top of the filling.

Smooth Out the Cake Mix

Without mixing it in or packing it down, take a fork or spoon and smooth out the cake mix, breaking up any lumps as you go. Just like with the pumpkin pie filling underneath, try to spread out the cake mix as evenly as possible–but don’t worry about being perfect.

Add the Butter

The hardest, most time-consuming step in making a dump cake cobbler is the last one: adding the butter. Although this steps takes a bit of time, it’s worth it. To make this as easy as possible:

Make sure your butter is cold – Be sure to keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready for the last step; in fact, you might want to put it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to make sure it’s cold.

Slice the butter into thin pads – Use a sharp knife to cut the butter into thin slices. In each tablespoon of butter, you should be able to make 4-6 pads of butter.

Lay the pads of butter on top of the cake mix – Place them at most 1/4 inch apart, if not closer. That way, there won’t be any dry spots in the cake mix.

By placing pads of butter on top of the cake mix, the butter will melt down into the raw cake mix as the dump cake bakes, creating a crunchy crumble. Like I said–this step is time-consuming, but worth it.

Can You Pour Melted Butter on Top Instead?

I have seen some dump cake recipes online in which people pour melted butter on top of the cobbler and then bake. Although this is easier and faster, I think it would be hard to make sure some of the melted butter touched all of the cake mix: you would be guaranteed to have many dry spots.

However, a YouTube subscriber suggested freezing the butter, grating it on a cheese grater or in a food processor, and then sprinkling the grated butter on top of the cake mix. I haven’t tried that, but I think it would work, so if you give that a try, let me know!

Time to Bake!

After adding the butter, it’s time to bake. Get ready for something good!

What Can You Serve with 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Dump Cake?

Honestly, I think this pumpkin dump cake is flavorful enough to eat plain. However, whipped cream or Cool Whip and pumpkin pie is a classic combination, and I think either would be good with this cobbler, too–especially with a sprinkle of cinnamon as in my YouTube thumbnail. I’m sure some vanilla ice cream would be good, too.

Should Dump Cake Be Refrigerated?

Yes, it is recommended to store your dump cake cobblers in the refrigerator. I don’t cover them because the trapped moisture might make the crumble soggy.

How Long Does Pumpkin Dump Cake Last?

Your 3 ingredient pumpkin dump cake, like most other cake mix cobblers, should last 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Beyond 3 days, the moisture in the refrigerator will likely start making the crumble topping less crunchy, taking away from one of the things that makes this dessert so good.

Can You Freeze Dump Cake?

Yes, you can freeze dump cake. Simply place individual portions on disposable plates, wrap them tightly, and place them in the freezer. They should maintain their quality for a few months.

A Chef’s Review

Although I wasn’t sure how this was going to turn out, I really liked this easy pumpkin dump cake with 3 ingredients. Honestly, I don’t really care for pumpkin pie (I think my butternut squash pie recipe is a much better “pumpkin” pie), but I liked this a lot more than I thought I would because the spice cake mix crumble was so flavorful.

If you really like pumpkin pie, I think you’ll love this. For something with so ingredients, this is very full of flavor. It was definitely one of the best dump cakes I’ve ever made. If you’re looking for a fall dessert, this would be perfect for Thanksgiving.

Possible Changes to the Recipe

Although I think this recipe turned out perfectly, some ways in which you could switch up the recipe include:

A Different Cake Mix – I have heard of people adding pumpkin puree to chocolate cake, so I wonder how this would be with chocolate cake mix.

Chocolate Chips – Along those same lines, sprinkling chocolate chips on top of the pumpkin pie filling before adding the cake mix might be good, too.

Other Dump Cake Recipes

If this 3 ingredient pumpkin dump cake sounds like something you would like, be sure to check out my some of my other cake mix cobbler recipes.

Cherry Dump Cake

Blueberry Dump Cake

Strawberry Dump Cake

These dump cakes are not only easy to make but also good for crowds, so be sure to give them a try.

Other Pumpkin Recipes

If you can’t get enough of this classic Thanksgiving ingredients, be sure to take a look at:

Crustless Pumpkin Pie – This light, airy soufflé-like dessert has all the great flavor of the traditional recipe but with a lot fewer calories.

Pumpkin Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients Recipe

YouTube Video:

Be sure to watch my YouTube video tutorial:

The post Pumpkin Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients appeared first on ParnellTheChef.