Ron Helwig

Writing, recipes, and practical notes — personal site of Ron Helwig

Kath's Dumplings

Soft drop dumplings meant to steam on top of boiling meats or vegetables — not dunked straight into thin liquid, where they sink and cook poorly.

Yield One pot of dumplings
Time ~25 minutes
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons shortening
  • 1½ cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup milk or water

Instructions

  1. Cut shortening into flour, baking powder, and salt with a fork (or fingers) until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
  2. Stir in milk (or water).
  3. Drop by spoonfuls onto boiling meats or vegetables. Don’t drop directly into thin liquids — dumplings will sink and won’t cook properly.
  4. Cook uncovered 10 minutes, then cover and cook 10 minutes more.

Variations

  • Add ¼ cup grated cheese to the flour mix, or ½ tsp dried sage, celery seed, parsley, or other seasonings.
  • For a brighter dough, add 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice and reduce the milk by the same amount.

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