Pastry for 2 crust pie
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 lg. McIntosh apples
2 tsp. butter
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1 whole cinnamon stick
1 1/3 c. water
Few drops red food coloring
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten (optional)

Make, then freeze any time up to 2 month ahead. Start heating oven to 425 degrees. Make, then divide pastry in fourths; roll out each fourth into square. Mix 1/3 cup sugar with cinnamon. Pare and core apples; center an apple on each pastry square. Fill cavities of apples with cinnamon - points of each pastry square, then bring points up over apple, overlapping them, and sealing well all around. Place in 4 individual 15 or 16 ounce baking dish, or a little apart in a 12 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish.

Make syrup by boiling 2/3 cup sugar with cinnamon stick and water 3 minutes; remove cinnamon stick, then add food color, a drop at a time, until syrup is of desired color. Pour this syrup around dumplings, brush tops of dumplings with egg yolk is brown. Cool; freezer-wrap and freeze. About 425 degrees. Unwrap dumplings, heat, unthawed, with a piece of foil laid over top to prevent further browning, about 35-40 minutes. Serve warm as is, or top with light cream or vanilla ice cream. Makes 4 servings.