Recipe: Baking Powder Dumplings with Shape and Flavor Variations

BAKING POWDER DUMPLINGS

"The simple Master Recipe for Dumplings is nothing more than four, baking powder, and salt mixed with melted butter and hot milk. The dough is mixed with a fork or kneaded briefly by hand just until it comes together. The dough may be formed into three shapes. Note that cooking times for the thin strip dumplings will be less than for larger balls or biscuit rounds. The dumplings should be made just before cooking them."

This basic recipe may be flavored with herbs, cornmeal, or even raisins (variations follow).

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup milk

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add any flavoring additions to the flour mixture (as desired, or selections below).

Heat the butter and milk to a simmer and add to the dry ingredients. Mix with a fork until the mixture just comes together. Shape as desired (see shape variations below).

Lay the formed dumplings on the surface of the simmering mixture (stew, chicken, etc.), cover and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes for strip dumplings and 15 minutes for balls and biscuit rounds.

Makes enough dumplings for 6 to 8 servings

SHAPE VARIATIONS:
Form the dough into the desired shape:

FLAT NOODLELIKE DUMPLINGS:
For flat noodlelike dumplings, roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut the dough into strips that measure about 2 inches long and 1/2-inch across.

BISCUITLIKE DUMPLINGS:
For biscuitlike dumplings, roll the dough to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter or a round drinking glass top to cut out dough rounds.

ROUND, PUFFY DUMPLINGS:
For round, puffy, dumplings, divide the dough into 18 pieces. Roll each piece into a 1 1/2-inch round ball.

FLAVOR VARIATIONS:

HERB DUMPLINGS:
Make Baking Powder Dumplings, mixing 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, chives, tarragon, or scallion greens with the dry ingredients.

DILL DUMPLINGS:
Make Baking Powder Dumplings, mixing 1/4 cup minced fresh dill with the dry ingredients.

CORNMEAL DUMPLINGS:
Make Baking Powder Dumplings, replacing 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

RAISIN DUMPLINGS:
Make Baking Powder Dumplings, mixing 1/4 cup coarsely chopped raisins with the dry ingredients.

Adapted from source: The Cook's Illustrated Complete Book of Poultry by the Editors of Cook's Illustrated