Apple Dumpling's

1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 C butter
2 1/4 C flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 C shortening
1/2 C milk
6-8 small granny smith apples peeled and cored
1/3 C sugar

For the syrup: in a saucepan combine 1 1/2 C sugar, 1/4 t cinnamon and 1/4 t nutmeg and 2 C water. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in butter. Set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening till mixture resembles crumbs. Add milk all at once. Stir just till moistened and form dough into ball. On a floured surface roll out dough till about 1/8th inch thin, cut into sections just big enough to wrap around a whole apple. Place half of the apple on the dough, sprinkle generously with a mixture of sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and dot with butter, add other half of apple and cover with dough. Put into a large baking dish. After all the apples are done (6-8 depending on size of apples, and how thick the dough is) Pour syrup over dumplings. Bake at 375F for 45 minutes. Best if syrup is taken from bottom of pan 2 or 3 times during baking and poured over top of dumplings. I love mine warm with cold milk poured over top, dinner or breakfast. Dessert is good too.