Apple Bundles in Cheddar
Pastry
For the cheddar pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pats
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups packed (6 ounces) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 to 12 tablespoons ice water
For the apple filling:
4 cups peeled, thinly sliced, tart apples, such as Granny smith or Pippin
(3 to 4 apples)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmet
2 tablespoons butter, broken into bits
For the spicy syrup:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmet
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter
For the yogurt sauce:
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To prepare the pastry and filling: In a medium bowl, combine
flour, sugar, mustard and salt. With a pastry blender, two knives or your
fingertips, cut in butter and shortening until mixture forms small clumps.
Add cheddar cheese and work until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
Sprinkle the water, 2 tablespoons at a time, over the mixture and toss
with a fork until the dough can be gathered into a ball. Knead once or
twice in the bowl; refrigerate.
In a separate bowl, toss apples together with brown sugar, cinnamon
and nutmeg, set aside.
Roll chilled dough on a floured surface and cut to make a rectangle
12- by 12-inches. With a knife, cut pastry into eight 6-inch squares. Place
apples in the center of the pastry squares, dividing evenly, and dot with
the 2 tablespoons butter. Fold up corners to form square bundles; pinch
edges to seal. At this point, pastries can be covered and refrigerated
a day ahead of baking, or wrapped in heavy-duty aluminum foil and frozen
(there is not need to thaw pastries before baking). Place on a greased
baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven 25 to 35 minutes,
until browned. Flecks of cheddar cheese give the pastry dough a distinct
color.
To prepare the sauces: To make spicy syrup, combine brown sugar,
water, cinnamon and nutmeg in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove
from the heat; add vanilla and 1 tablespoon butter; stir until butter is
melted. To make yogurt sauce, stir together yogurt and brown sugar.
To serve: Place individual pastries on plate and pour several
tablespoons of warm syrup over each warm pastry. Pass the yogurt sauce
to spoon on top. Makes 8 pastries.
Copyright 1995, The Associated Press
