Dumpling help please

[mistakened Profile]

I wish to make dumplings, I can no longer buy suet, it disappeared with Brexit. The Cypriot housewives do not seem to use it although I suspect that they use it in a different form.
Could I use butter instead?

Moira

[Earthmaiden Profile]

Yes. Ideally grate from a hard block but otherwise just cut into small pieces. It works.

[Suelle Profile Website]

I've made acceptable dumplings from the recipe for easy flatbreads - equal weights of SR flour (or plain flour and baking powder) and full-fat natural Greek yogurt mixed to a dough. Add more flour or yogurt, if needed, to get your usual dumpling consistency, plus any seasonings you want.

[Suffs Profile]

I've made dumplings with no suet before ... just up the amount of baking powder a smidgeon ... not perfect but better than no dumplings at all.

[scullion Profile]

i have only ever made dumplings without suet. either with the solid block oil (like pura) or butter.
it works fine.

[Seatallan Profile]

Don't suppose you have any animal fat you could mix with the butter? If not, straight butter should work.

[PatsyMFagan Profile]

I received my first cookery book from a favourite Aunt in 1962 -ish ... in it is a recipe for 'Feather-light dumplings' ... this is:

8oz flour
3 tspn BP
half tspn salt
2 TBlspn/1 oz butter
1 gill/qtr pint milk
1 egg, well beaten

Sift dry ingredients together, add egg, melted butter and enough milk to make a moist, stiff batter.
Drop spoonfuls into hot stew, cover closely and cook for about 15 minutes

The book is very ear-marked at that page and I have circled that recipe in biro.

There is also recipes for bread dough dumplings as well as suet ones

[Earthmaiden Profile]

Obviously you've had success with it Pat but it sounds the amount of baking powder that would leave an aftertaste!

I read some time ago that many people use butter and did wonder how well it would work. I tried it when I didn't have any suet or alternative fat in the house and it worked fine. No additional baking powder or anything.

I would like to try the yogurt dough dumplings which has mentioned. Never tried that with anything but flatbread.

[Suffs Profile]

Or of course, there's always proper Norfolk Dumplings ... like wot we yewsed ter mek before they invented that there bakin powder

https://www.countrylife.co.uk/food-drin ... ngs-176900

[PatsyMFagan Profile]

Obviously you've had success with it Pat but it sounds the amount of baking powder that would leave an aftertaste!

I read some time ago that many people use butter and did wonder how well it would work. I tried it when I didn't have any suet or alternative fat in the house and it worked fine. No additional baking powder or anything.

I would like to try the yogurt dough dumplings which has mentioned. Never tried that with anything but flatbread.

That recipe might have pre-dated SR flour, so if I made them now, I may well use that instead, with only amount of BP ...

[KeenCook2 Profile]

Confession time, I have NEVER made dumplings

[Earthmaiden Profile]

Ooh, sorry Pat I misread the recipe and thought it said SR as well as the baking powder!

I sometimes wonder if Norfolk dumplings are a myth. I never remember seeing anyone of any level of society making or eating them but, as it says, they were originally a bread dough and most people were buying their bread by the 60s. Our family dumplings (not Norfolk) are made quite moist and soft and spread across the top of the pan/casserole with a bubbly appearance. They soak up some of the gravy in the stew/casserole. The ones we had at school were hard little round balls - and I don't think made from bread dough which might have had that effect.

[Suffs Profile]

I have made and eaten them EM ... but only because I was told about them by Mrs Ringer who kept the village bakery as had generations of her family before her ... she said that her mother would ask her father for a 'knob of dough' when he was making the bread, and she'd shape dumplings and put them in the stew which would go in the bread oven when he'd done the day's baking for the village (north Suffolk).

I used to make our bread (still do) so I thought I'd have a go, and they were really lovely ... but mostly we have wholemeal bread, and wholemeal dumplings just aren't the same as white ones. One day I'll have to try to coincide a 'stew day' with one of those rare times when I make white bread ........

[Earthmaiden Profile]

They sound lovely!

[ZeroCook Profile]

.
Well, I made the Norfolk Swimmers last night. I'm really not a great dumpling maker - they tend to either fall apart of sink like rocks, but the swimmers were absolutely great in a pot of wintery chicken and mushroom soup. Could become a go-to dumpling recipe. Thx for the link.

[Suffs Profile]

[Seatallan Profile]

Sounds splendid!!

[mistakened Profile]

Dumplings made with butter worked well, we shall have them again

Moira