Rabbitpatch Apple Dumpling Recipe | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: Please join me in welcoming Author Michele Rhem, who presents us with her poignant memoirs of the Rabbit Patch, where her diaries weave tales of a simpler, expressive life lost to many, but gathered together in her most familiar environs - the Rabbit Patch.

    I am not sure whether it was "Beginners' Luck" or what . . . but I made apple dumplings that are good enough to brag about. I had never even eaten apple dumplings, let alone made them, but I am not a bit sorry, that I tried. I can hardly wait for my son Brant to visit, for I know this dish will give him one more reason to come home when he can. Brant loves apples.

    Now the good folks in Pennsylvania, may not consider this dish, true apple dumplings, and it seems they are the experts, but this recipe was everything I hoped it would be. This is as good of a reason as I know of to cook apples.

Rabbitpatch Apple Dumpling Recipe

1 and 1/2 cups of water

1 cup packed brown sugar

4 tbl spoons of butter

a dash of salt

    Mix all ingredients and slowly bring to a boil, stirring frequently. As you do so, for you do not want to leave the stove- (Butter and sugar will burn if neglected.) -mix the following:


2 cups of self rising flour

1/4 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of milk

2 tbl spoons of melted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract ( I tend to "spill" more, anytime, a recipe calls for vanilla.)

1 cup diced apples

    Combine ingredients, saving the apples for last. Now, drop by spoonfuls in to the sauce. I turned the heat down a bit, so the boil was slow. Cover the pot and turn the dumplings after about five minutes. Cook about five more minutes and remove from heat. When they are cool enough to eat, do so -and be extra patient so you won't burn your tongue.

    I used a large skillet, to get the dumplings to cook evenly. All is not lost, if the dumplings, break as you turn them. Nobody will care, once they have tasted them.

    I took some to Mama and Daddy, while my sweet cousin Sheila was there and a dear friend, Miss Edie. Nobody complained about anything after we ate . . .and besides, all dishes are really better, when shared with others.