Blueberry Dumplings

CountryLady's Note:

One of my childhood memories is picking wild blueberries with my siblings when our family went camping in northern Ontario - then my mother would make blueberry dumplings for us! This recipe from Jim Dodge, Food & Beverage Manager at the Getty Center in L.A., is much better - sorry mom! Wild blueberries are best - but cultivated or frozen blueberries or even Saskatoons will work. Top with creme fraiche or whipped cream.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

Filling

• 4 cups fresh blueberries, preferably wild blueberries
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar

Dumplings

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup creme fraiche (or whipping cream)

Directions:

1. Filling: Adjust oven rack to the lowest level and preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Wash the berries in a bowl of cold water, remove any leaves or stems and drain well.
3. In a 2 ½ to 3 quart casserole with a tight fitting lid, stir together the sugar and water until the sugar dissolves.
4. Add the berries and cover with the lid.
5. Bake on the lower rack for about 30 minutes or until the filling gives off a little steam.
6. While the filling is baking, begin preparing the batter so that you are able to make the dumplings quickly.
7. Dumplings: In a medium size bowl blend together the flour, baking powder and salt.
8. Pour the milk into a small saucepan.
9. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the milk.
10. Warm over moderate heat until the milk is warm and the butter is almost completely melted.
11. Turn off the heat and leave the mixture in the saucepan on the burner so that the milk stays warm and butter stays melted.
12. Get ready in your workspace: a fork to mix with and two large oval soupspoons to form the dumplings.
13. When the blueberry filling is ready, remove the casserole from the oven, but do not remove the lid.
14. With a fork, stir the milk mixture into the flour only until the milk has been absorbed.
15. The batter should look lumpy and under mixed.
16. Remove the lid from the top of the casserole and keep it close by.
17. Drop large spoonfuls of the batter on top of the blueberry mixture forming first a circle and then filling in the center of the circle.
18. The dumplings will sink a little.
19. Return the lid to the top and place back into the oven.
20. Continue cooking for 15 minutes.
21. Do not remove the lid until this baking time has elapsed.
22. Remove from the oven and place on a rack.
23. Remove the lid and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
24. Whip the crème fraîche (or whipping cream) until thickened.
25. To serve, spoon into deep bowls and top with a dollop of cream fraîche or whipping cream.

Reviews

[sugarpea]

Yum, yum, yum. I used Splenda, skim milk and the stovetop. It all worked beautifully. Next time (and there WILL be a next time) I will try 1T less butter and see how that works. Only mistake I made was to spoon out a portion into a bowl for myself in order to let it cool more quickly. The dumplings need that 15 minute cool down period to finish cooking. So don't rush things. Be patient, it's worth the wait.

[ladypit]

This is wonderful! I used low fat soymilk and only 3 tbsp of butter; neither substitution seemed to make any difference. I also used frozen blueberries, still frozen. The problem with this was that it produced too much liquid. Next time I will either reduce the water (knowing that the frozen blueberries will give off their own liquid) or defrost them. So my presentation wasn't as good as it could have been (as the dumplings really sank down to the bottom). But this was excellent. Dh asked for seconds and dd could be seen licking it off the bowl! Oh, and I used Fat Free Cool-whip instead of creme fraiche. Not as high-end as intended, but lower fat and still exceptionally yummy.

[NoraMarie]

I,m from NovaScotia and we would pick our blueberries and Mom would make this but on top of the stove.I still make it on top of the stove.