Dumplings

I used to make my own 'Auction Puddings' as my friend's little girl called them when she came to Sunday lunch some years ago. I also used to make my own dumplings and cobblers, but with there being just the two of us at the moment it's hardly worth it, the frozen ones are excellent for when I only need a couple.

Hooray for dumplings. We had them a lot when little, good rib sticking food in this cold weather. Last week DH found a Waitrose recipe card, that he liked the look of. I made it and it was so tasty, just a veggie casserole really, but with dumplings on the top. He must be changing in his old age, as he would never eat dumplings and as for veggie meals, well words fail me.

I've tried Aunt Bessie's dumples (as I call ,em) but they are expensive and were slimy on the outside. When I made them from Store, they were delicious but hat ng to boil them made the stew stick like buggery on the sauce pan bottom, even though I stirred it.

atora, I meant!

I'm useless at Yorkshire puddings, too, and like Aunt Bessie's. A friend's mum calls Yorkshire puddings 'Lancashire Biscuits' if her home-made ones fail!

On the subject of Aunt Bessie's, I've discovered their stuffing balls. I'm the only one who eats stuffing and it's such a waste to cook a large batch and throw most of it away. A couple of Aunt Bessie's stuffing balls does the job!

He he i made dumplings with plain flour until i read this thread. I though it was just that im not a good cook. I am absolutely the very worst cook of yorkshire puds. I cant see why the oil in the pan never comes off in the wash. Dont mention xmas cakes but our local birds are well fed

I can't get suet here in the diaspora, so I make dumplings the way my mother did: 2 measures of flour to 1 measure of margarine. Bind with water, adding herbs, salt, etc, as desired. So basically, it's a pastry mix, but boiled. If I keep them small and don't handle them too much, they are fine. Self-raising flour is not available here either, and I don't add baking powder, but may try that next time.

One thing I remember about my grandmother is that she would fish a dumpling out of the stew before dinner and sprinkle it with sugar and give it to us. (A meal in itself for a little 8-year-old girl!)

Does anyone have a successful, tried and tested, recipe for gluten free dumplings, please? Mine are like lead balloons, even though I use gf baking powder. This is doubly annoying because I make 'normal' ones for DH and they are light and fluffy and float!!

I sometimes make dumplings but my favourite is steak pie with a suet crust. I use the slow cooker to cook the meat all day so that it is very tender and then transfer it to a pyrex dish, put suet pastry on the top and cook in a hot oven. Very tasty.

Delia's recipe every time. First time I served them up to DGC they both screwed their faces up( very conservative eaters) until they tasted them. Now it's thumbs up for beef stew and dumplings every time.

Tescos own or golden fry dumpling mix so easy just add water. So light n fluffy.

I can't get suet where I live but love dumplings, so I use butter and they come out fine. One variation: use diluted tomato juice instead of just water for the liquid and mix in fresh chopped parsley. You can save time by making a large batch (say for four of your usual servings) and then weigh out the mixed dry ingredients and divide into small freezer bags labelled "dumpling mix for X dumplings". Easy!

BBbevan, I agree that the topping for a cobbler is a scone topping.
I've never heard of the term doughboys, only dumplings. Are you in the North or South paddyann. I'm in Yorkshire.

I cannot get Suet here so will definately try the OPs recipe, I love dumplings.

Scotland mapleleaf a dumling is boiled fruit cake usually wrapped in a cloth.Clootie dumpling ..its delicious and was often used as birthday cake back in the day .Doughballs were with mince or stew

Thanks paddyann. I've heard of clootie dumplings but hadn't realised there was another name for savoury dumplings. ?

You can get gluten free baking powder.

My dumpling recipe changes according to which ever dumpling mix I buy. My Aunty Bessie makes my Yorkshire puddings but that's only because I don't know how to make less that a dozen at a time so it's cheaper as well as easier to rely on my auntie.

Yorkshire puddings - another thing that I can't make .
Do you really need to use milk?

My Grandmother who when younger was a lady in waiting, made the best Norfolk Dumplings ever. When I got older I asked her how to make them. Just make as if bread, but don't put them with food cooking, unless you can keep them separate, they just need steaming, and she was right, I put them in the pressure cooker just a few minutes and they rise get a shiny coat and they are scrumptious with a roast and gravy. Real Yummy.

Mary Berry’s recipe with a touch of horseradish ??

I love to add finely grated onion and mixed herbs, or horseradish.
Also, I like to finish my dumplings off ( still nestling in the stew ) in the oven for a few minutes so that they have a lovely golden crust. ( I baste them with the gravy first )
If you really want to go for it, add some finely grated cheddar cheese on top of the dumplings before putting them in the oven.

Not made dumplings for many years but my memories of the stew pot coming out of the oven with that wonderful crusty dumpling top makes my mouth water now.

Beef stew with thick gravy and dumplings a great meal for a hungry family

Monica I sometimes add horseradish too. Very tasty.

I made a great big batch of beef stew (using Angus steak from local farm) just before Christmas and froze it. Defrosted it the night before I needed it for Boxing Day. Heated if up in huge old iron casserole dish in oven and then popped in horseradish dumplings for last 20 minutes.

Easiest most praised meal ever.

I hadn't made dumplings for ages but recently fancied adding some to the stew I was making. Hurrah! There was a partly-used packet of Atora in the store cupboard. Well, they did taste a bit odd, kind of fausty, as my old Mum would say.
Checked the date on the packet 'use before 2003' . We also had an unopened packet in the cupboard. 'use before 2001'
The birds are enjoying it though.