Dumplings From Scratch

Dumplings come in different shapes and varieties and often reflect the flavors and cooking methods of the country of its origin.

A simple definition of dumpling:

• a cooked ball of dough with a base of flour, potato or bread
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• it may or may not be stuffed with meat, fish or vegetables
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• the cooking method can vary - boiling, steaming, frying, baking or simmer.
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  Dumplings made in soups and stews are one of my favorite indulgences.
  
  My mom always made Bisquick dumplings in beef stew and as a result I will only eat beef stew with dumplings.
  
  In later years when I started cooking for my family I began adding dumplings to chicken soup as well.
  
  I always used Bisquick to make dumplings and muffins. However, since I've been cutting out processed and packaged items as much as possible this past year bisquick was one of the casualties. So I decided to make my own mix and with a quick search there were a gazillion recipes - food bloggers are smart and savvy cooks who want to save money and eat healthier.
  
  Making a large batch of homemade biscuit mix is easier than you think. It can be kept for several weeks in an airtight container which makes it very economical especially if you make pancakes, muffins, biscuits, etc. often.
  
  The approximate cost per cup of homemade biscuit mix is less than 20 cents per cup - a huge savings compared to buying the package. Another benefit is there are no preservatives in a homemade mix.
  
  I'll cut to the chase, here is the easy recipe that takes less than 3 minutes to mix together. I'm sharing the one-time serving recipe and a bulk recipe if you like having a batch always at the ready.
  
  Homemade Biscuit Mix
  (adapted from many web sources)
  Ingredients for One Time Use
  
  • 2 cups AP flour (I use 1 cup white whole wheat flour and 1 cup AP flour)
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbls. butter or shortening (I use Smart Balance)
  • Optional - 1 TBLS. chopped herbs, salt & pepper to taste (parsley, chives, rosemary, etc.)
  Directions
  

Sift the dry ingredients together into a medium bowl.

Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture is crumbly and sand like.

For the dumplings add 2/3 cup milk to the 2 cups of dry ingredients, and if you want you can now add in herbs, salt & pepper and stir well to mix. The mixture will be sticky.

Using a tablespoon drop dough into lightly boiling stew or soup. Cook 10 minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered. This will yield about 8 to 10 dumplings.

Several Use Batch Homemade Biscuit Mix

• 5 cups AP flour
• 1/2 cup baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter or shortening
• Place in an airtight container. Keep in a cool, dry place - I would recommend keeping it in the fridge - it will keep approximately 6 weeks.

Use this baking mixture in the same measurements as you would for bisquick to make pancakes, biscuits, muffins, etc. and enjoy.

During the holiday baking season this homemade biscuit mixture is economical and time saving when making everyone's favorite brunch dishes.

Or when you are over-scheduled you can easily make breakfast for dinner in no time at all.