Writer Kelly Alexander pays tribute to journalist Clementine Paddleford in Hometown Appetites: The Story of Clementine Paddleford, the Forgotten Food Writer Who Chronicled How America Ate. Paddleford documented regional American food while she worked for the New York Hearld Tribune and commanded a readership of 12 million people a week. Housed at The Hale Library at Kansas State University, the Clementine Paddleford Papers (1920 - 1967) is a collection that includes menus, diaries, photographs, 25 scrapbooks, and more than 100 boxes of clippings as well as other memorabilia.
Photo credit: Kansas State University Archives
Apple Dumplings
Yields: 6 servings
- 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup light cream
- 2 cups boiling water
- 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 12 slices each (about 6 cups sliced apples)
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Into a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Beat eggs and light cream together; add flour mixture. Whisk together.
In a shallow saucepan 10 to 12 inches in diameter, combine water, apples, butter, sugar, and lemon juice; bringing to a boil and allow sugar to dissolve. Allow apples to cook 2 to 3 minutes more, or until slightly softened.
Form dumplings with 2 spoons using about ¾ tablespoon batter for each, yielding about 18 dumplings. As each dumpling is formed, drop it into sauce in between the apples. Cover pan. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to absorb most of the remaining liquid. Serve just warm and still juicy with plain cream, whipped cream, or lemon sauce.
Music break: Thousand Galaxies by Jean Jacques Robert