Apple dumplings in brown sugar sauce

Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

Peel and core the apples (a knife and a small round cutter work without a corer); cut the bottoms flat.

Let the pastry dough rest on the counter until rollable, then roll it out on a floured surface, divide into four, and roll each a bit less than a quarter inch thick to about a seven-inch square; keep it moving so it does not stick.

Square off the dough with a crimped cutter. Set an apple in the middle, fill almost to the top with cinnamon sugar and cap with about a teaspoon of butter.

Fold the pastry up to cover the apple, sealing the seams with a dab of water and pressing.

Re-roll the scraps and cut out leaves; attach them with egg wash (one egg and a drop of water) and brush the pastry for a golden brown color.

Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, the rest into the pan; optionally chill so the pastry keeps its shape.

For the sauce, combine the butter, packed brown sugar and water in a small pot over medium-low heat until melted; it makes about two cups, one cup into each pan.

Bake at 350F about an hour, until the pastry is golden brown and the apples are tender when tested with a skewer.