Classic English Suet Dumplings Recipes

Steps:

• Whilst your stew is bubbling, make the dumplings. Weigh the flour into a bowl and add ½ tsp salt. Stir through the suet and parsley, if using. Make a well in the centre and add 3 tbsp cold water, mix to a dough, adding more water until the dough is firm but pliable. Divide into eight equal pieces and roll in a little more flour into balls. Chill until needed.
• When the stew has about 30 mins to go, arrange the dumplings on top and cover with a lid. With the oven at 160C/140C fan/gas 3, cook the stew and dumplings for 20 mins, then remove the lid and cook for another 10 mins until they're brown and puffed up.

Steps:

• Put the flour, seasonings, & suet in a large mixing bowl, mix thoroughly.
• (If you are adding herbs or extra seasonings, add them now & mix well.).
• Add sufficient cold water - bit by bit - to make a pliable dough; it should not be too sticky, but just bound together.
• Divide the dumpling mixture into 8 portions, and roll into small balls with floured hands.
• Drop them into your soup, casserole or stew 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time, making sure that the soup, stew or casserole is very hot.
• Put the lid on IMMEDIATELY and do NOT take the lid off until just before the end of the cooking time, about 15-18 minutes to check that they are nearly ready.
• They should have doubled in size at least, and be very light & fluffy looking!
• Ladle the soup, stew or casserole into warmed soup bowls & serve 2 dumplings per person.
• Oven baked: place the dumplings on top of your stew or casserole and cook for about 30 minutes at 200C or 400F, or until well risen, golden brown & crusty.

Steps:

• In a large, wide pan pour in 450ml water, half the butter, sugar and golden syrup and bring to the boil. Turn it down immediately so it is just simmering.
• Warm the milk just a little. Meanwhile, in a food processor pulse the flour and the rest of the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add 2 tbsp golden syrup and the warmed milk and whizz until it comes together.
• Bring the liquid back to the boil and drop in dessertspoon-size pieces of the dough, turn the heat down to a simmer again and gently cook for 10 mins, turning gently a few times. You may need to do it in two batches so they don't all stick together - just scoop out the first lot with a little of the syrup into a baking dish, cover with foil and keep warm in a low oven while you finish the rest.

Steps:

• Mix the flour, suet, parsley and chives in a bowl.
• Season well with salt and freshly ground white pepper, then stir in enough stock to form a fairly stiff but still elastic dough that will leave the sides of the bowl clean.
• Heat the remaining stock in a large pan until boiling.
• Shape the dumpling dough into rounds about two bites big.
• Drop into the bubbling beef stock, cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until light and well puffed up.
• Remove from stock and serve.