Apple Pie Egg Rolls

When I was a kid, those delicious McDonald’s fried apple pies were all the rage. I know what you’re thinking, but come on…if you ever had one, you can’t disagree that they were some of the yummiest treats around. Then in 1992, the company changed from fried to baked apple pies, caving in under the pressure from the food police. Then, as quickly as they appeared on the scene those little bubbly crusts filled with apple wonderment disappeared from the fast food horizon.

Over the years, I have tried to replicate that crust. The only thing that came really close was a hot dumpling dough that I made for some homemade egg rolls. The recipe and directions are found here. It’s a recipe that is shared by the very talented Andrea Nguyen in many of her books on Asian cooking. The reason it is called hot is not because it is spicy, but you actually use boiling water and pour it slowly into the food processor until you achieve a soft pliable dough that can be rolled out very thinly.

This dough is almost identical to the one used in those memorable apple pies, so this got me thinking….

What if I tried a pre-made dumpling wrapper in the event that I did not have the time or the desire to make and roll out my own dough…well, it can happen!

The last time I visited my local Asian store, I picked up a package, made my own apple filling using fresh, crisp apples, but you can make an equally delicious filling using dried apples if that is all you have on hand…and VOILA! We have apple pie egg rolls a la McDonald’s. Now that was well worth a trip down memory lane….

Hot Dumpling Dough
2 cups all purpose flour
¾ cup boiling water
¼ teaspoon salt
**For directions see link above

Apple Pie Filling
4 small sized crisp apples (about 2 cups)
1 large lemon, zest and juice
½ cup fresh apple cider (or use ½ cup water and 2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate)
¼ cup granulated sugar (add up to ½ cup depending on sweetness of apples)
1 tablespoon honey (keeps mixture smooth)
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch (or you can use clear gel)
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch cloves

I shredded 2 of the apples and finely diced the other 2…but feel free to dice them all if you prefer. The reason I do this is because the filling lays better in the dough instead of being too chunky. Zest and juice the lemon and add everything but the cornstarch together into a small stock pot. Bring this entire mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a medium low and cook until the liquid begins to reduce and get syrupy, and the apples soften slightly. At this point, add the cornstarch and stir for another 5 minutes until thickened. I don’t like to use too much cornstarch because apples have a lot of pectin and don’t need too much help. Set the filling aside to cool before filling wrappers. Once cool, fill each wrapper and then chill them for about half an hour to set the dough so that it does not unravel in the fryer.

Heat your oil and fry your egg rolls until golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with melted chocolate.