The Apple Dumpling Gang is at it again

You can ask for the Fostoria Woman's Club's locally famous apple dumpling recipe. But your chances of getting it rank with your odds of getting Col. Harland Sanders' fried chicken recipe. Rehoboth United Methodist Church bequeathed the instructions for preparing the baked delicacies to a particular group of people. And with the exception of those who have prepared them for the Fostoria Woman's Club's annual fall sales, it has gone no further. "When they went out of business, they gave the people who volunteered (in their preparation)," said Mary Schmeltzer, a former volunteer at Rehoboth. "But they asked to keep it secret." While not to the level of KFC, of course, the apple dumplings have continued to be moneymakers through their transfer from Rehoboth to the Woman's Club about a decade ago. "We were sitting at a Toledo Mud Hens game and we were talking about fundraisers," Fostoria Woman's Club member Sharon Stannard said. "Rehoboth used to make them all the time. ... Rehoboth stopped and we decided we'd take on the project because they sold so well. They've become a major fundraiser for us." Since they got into preparing the apple dumplings, several club members have gathered at Schmeltzer's home two mornings a week for about six weeks in the fall to prepare the sweet treats. And Thursday was no different. "We've got this down to a pretty good (process) now," Schmeltzer said. "It took us a while, but we did it." Among the few details the self-monikered "Apple Dumpling Gang," named after the 1975 Disney movie, will disclose about the product is that yellow delicious and Cortland apples are used and that the MennelMilling Company has donated 150 pounds of flour each year. But it's no secret that people from Fostoria and the surrounding area love them. "Every year, the same people call and order dumplings," Woman's Club Vice President Patti Gregg said. "This year, there's a lot more than normal." That didn't seem to be the case at the start of this year's sales, Stannard said. "It started out really, really slow this year and we were really kind of worried about it," she said. "It never started out that slow, and we thought maybe the economy was going to affect us. But it's just picked up and picked up and picked up. Now, we're back to doing well, like we usually do." Stannard said last year's sales cleared nearly $3,500. "That's really helpful because we have to maintain that clubhouse (located at 135 E. Fremont St., in Fostoria) -- taxes and utilities and all kinds of things," she said. The club has extended its sales until Monday, with unbaked pans of two selling for $6 and unbaked pans of four available for $11. Baked orders are priced at $9 for a pan of two and $14 for a pan of four. Sugar-free dumplings are available upon request. Call 419-435-8611 to place orders through Monday. The Apple Dumpling Gang will also swing into action to prepare products to be sold at the Good Shepherd Home Auxiliary Bazaar, scheduled for 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at Stacy's Place, 625 Plaza Drive in Fostoria.