Keto Apple Dumplings

**Keto Apple Dumplings**

**Ingredients:**

*For the Filling:*
– 1 apple (about 6 ounces), peeled and chopped into small pieces
– 1 teaspoon lemon juice
– 1/4 cup stevia/erythritol blend
– 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
– Small pinch of nutmeg
– Small pinch of cloves
– 1/8 teaspoon salt
– 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

*For the Pastry:*
– 2/3 cup almond flour
– 1/4 cup coconut flour
– 1/4 cup stevia/erythritol blend
– 1 1/4 teaspoon grain-free baking powder
– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 large egg
– 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
– 1 1/2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
– 4 1/2 tablespoons butter

*For the Top:*
– 1 small egg
– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

**Instructions:**

1. Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. **For the Filling:**
– In a small bowl, combine the chopped apple pieces and lemon juice. Stir to evenly distribute the lemon juice.
– In another small bowl, combine the stevia/erythritol blend, xanthan gum, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk thoroughly. Add the blackstrap molasses and whisk until combined.
– Pour the dry mixture over the apples and stir to evenly coat them. Set aside.

3. **For the Pastry Dough:**
– In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, stevia/erythritol blend, baking powder, and cinnamon.
– In another small bowl, whisk the egg and vanilla extract together. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and combine using a spoon. The mixture will appear mealy.
– In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the mozzarella cheese and butter, stirring constantly. Remove from heat once melted.
– Add the dry ingredients to the cheese and butter, stirring vigorously. Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper and knead until it resembles bread dough. Divide the dough in half.

4. **Assembly:**
– Shape half of the dough into a disk shape and sandwich it between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll out the dough until it's about 1/8 inch thick. Remove the top parchment.
– Using a biscuit cutter, cut the dough into circles and place them on the parchment-lined cookie sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough until you have 10 circles on each sheet.
– Spoon the apple filling onto the centers of the dough circles, keeping it about 3/8 inch from the edges.
– Stretch the remaining dough circles slightly and place them over the filling. Press the edges of the circles together with your fingers and then with the tines of a fork. Cut steam holes in the top of each pastry with a sharp knife.

5. **For the Top:**
– Whisk the egg in a small bowl.
– In another small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon and stevia/erythritol blend.
– Lightly brush a bit of egg over the top of each pastry with a pastry brush. Sprinkle lightly with the cinnamon and sweetener mixture.

6. **Baking:**
– Place the pastries in the preheated oven and bake for 16-19 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
– Once done, remove from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy your delicious Keto Apple Dumplings!

**Note:** These pastries are best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for a day or two.

Ingredients

For the filling

• 1 apple about 6 ounces, peeled and chopped into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup stevia/erythritol blend
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• small pinch of nutmeg
• small pinch of cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

For the pastry

• 2/3 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup stevia/erythritol blend
• 1 1/4 teaspoon grain-free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese shredded
• 4 1/2 Tablespoons butter

For the top

• 1 small egg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Insulated cookie sheets like this one work best for this recipe, but other sheets are acceptable. Have a rolling pin, parchment paper and biscuit cutter available.

For the filling

1. In a small bowl, combine apple pieces and lemon juice. Stir to evenly distribute lemon juice.
2. Place sweetener, xanthan gum, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a separate small bowl. Whisk to combine thoroughly. Add blackstrap molasses and whisk in.
3. Pour the dry mixture over the apples and stir to evenly coat the apples. Set aside.

For the pastry dough

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, stevia/erythritol mix baking powder and cinnamon using a whisk.
2. Break one egg in a small bowl. Add vanilla extract and whisk briefly. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and combine using a spoon. The mixture will appear mealy and egg will not mix in completely.
3. Melt the mozzarella cheese and the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat stirring constantly. Don’t worry if they do not combine.
4. When melted, remove from heat and add the dry ingredients to the cheese and butter, stirring vigorously.
5. Place dough on a piece of parchment and kneed together until it resembles bread dough. Divide dough in half. Shape half of the dough into a disk shape and sandwich between two pieces of parchment. Roll dough until it’s about 1/8 inch thick. Remove top parchment. Using a biscuit cutter, cut dough into circles. Place circles on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Kneed the bits of dough that weren’t cut into circles, together and roll out. Cut additional circles. In the end, you should have 5 circles on each sheet.
6. Repeat this procedure using the second half of the dough. These circles will form the tops of the pastries. Place them on a piece of parchment.
7. Spoon the apple filling onto the centers of the dough circles on the cookie sheet, dividing it equally among the 10 circles and keeping the filling about 3/8 inch from the edges.
8. For the tops, place a circle of dough in the palm of one hand and squish it gently to stretch it slightly. Place the circle over a circle with filling. Gently press the edges of the two circles together, first with you fingers and then using the tines of a fork. Repeat for remaining tops.
9. Cut steam holes in the top of each pastry using the tip of a sharp knife.

For the tops

1. Break egg in a small bowl and whisk briefly.
2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the sweetener and the cinnamon.
3. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush a bit of egg over the top of the pastries. Sprinkle lightly with sweetener and cinnamon mixture.
4. Place pastries in the the preheated oven. Bake for 16-19 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Watch carefully as these pastries will burn quickly.