Caramel Dumplings

Brrrr it's a wee bit chilly for Brisbane tonight - only 17C and heading for 12C.  Positively Antarctic! And guess what?  I am sitting here with a (light) scarf on.  After 7 months of summer, this is a nice change.  And definitely calls for caramel dumplings for dessert to warm us up. My best friend at school and yes to the present day is The Famous Author (she who writes YA novels and is now moving into Romance). Her parents are Scottish and after nearly 60 years in Oz still have lovely Scottish accents. My first introduction to sweet dumplings was at their house; her mum made delicious Golden Syrup dumplings and also the Scottish classic Clootie dumpling which is a boiled pudding full of dried fruit. My mum on the other hand was a rebel who only made a savoury version with the fluffy little globes swimming over the top of a hearty stew.  She also only made a savoury kind of French toast, slathered in lots of tomato sauce.  Truth to tell, I didn't know that French toast was meant to be sweet with honey or maple syrup poured over it till I left home.  Now I know a good dumpling is a sweet dumpling!  I can claim no kudos for this recipe as it is out of a magazine from some years ago, but I can tell you it is delicious and comforting, and actually very easy to make.  I usually make the dumplings and the sauce well before dinner, and just finish them off in the sweet, brown, glossy sauce just before eating them.  This is where you smother them in bucketloads of thick double cream.

ingredients:

for the dumplings

190g. self-raising flour
pinch of salt
60g. of butter, chilled and cubed
125 mls milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or paste

for the caramel sauce:

375 mls water
200g. brown sugar
20g. butter
pinch of salt

method:

Place the flour and salt into a medium bowl and stir together
Rub in the butter till the mixture is like fine breadcrumbs
Stir in the milk and vanilla with a large spoon
Give it a final mix with your hands till you have a smooth dough, and form it into walnut sized balls (or golf ball sized if you prefer)

Make the sauce by placing all the ingredients into a frying pan, and turn the heat on high
Let it come to the boil then take off the heat
Place the balls of dough gently into the sauce and let it simmer away on a low heat, covered, for about 20 mins or till cooked
Serve with lots of cream or ice-cream

You can pre-make the dumplings and sauce, and leave them aside till you are ready for dessert. Then go ahead with the final steps, i.e. after bringing the sauce to the boil, place the balls into the pan of hot bubbly sauce, and cook for 20 mins as above.

stirring the flour and salt together  

adding in the butter 

rubbing in the butter  

milk and vanilla going in 

a final stir 

making cute little balls        

so I ended up with 10 sweet little balls!   

making the sauce

sugar goes into the pan of water 

stirring the sauce 

adding the balls to the simmering sauce   

covering them for 20 mins to simmer away   

yep, they're ready!  Well I had to try one to check :) 

it just looks like a lot of cream - honest! :) 

I think Mr Pickings will insist that I make these again before the autumn/winter season ends.  Though I am not sure we will have much of a winter this year as it will be back to 26C on Friday!