Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter or spray a deep casserole or baking dish.
Mix 6 tablespoons sugar. salt, baking powder and flour. Work in the 6 tablespoons of butter or shortening with the fingertips, or using a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (some larger pea-size chunks can remain).
Add about 2/3 cup water, or just enough to make a soft dough.
Lightly flour a work surface or silicone mat and roll the dough out thinly. Cut into squares of about 5 to 7 inches, depending on size of apples. Pare and core apples and place an apples in the center of each square of dough.
Sprinkle the apples with 1/2 cup sugar and half of the cinnamon. Fold the dough up to cover the apples and pinch the ends together.
Place apples in baking dish and put a dot of butter on top of each apple.
Mix the remaining sugar and water, stir in cinnamon and vanilla and pour this into the pan, surrounding the apples.
Baste frequently during the cooking (about 30-40 minutes), or until apples are tender.
Serve, while still warm, with the basting sauce and vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Submitted by: CM
