Old Fashioned Summer Peach Dumplings Recipe 425

Steps:

• Measure the flour and shortening into a large mixing bowl and place bowl in the freezer until needed. Set a colander in a large pot or Dutch oven and add the peaches to the colander, straining the liquid into the pot. Set peaches aside for now. To the pot of liquid, whisk in the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, water, lemon juice, and butter cubes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; then reduce heat to medium and cook for about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, make the Dumplings: Remove bowl from freezer and cut the shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until you get a mealy consistency (fine crumbs). Gradually, drizzle in ice water while stirring, just enough for the dough to come together and form a ball. Divide the dough into 2 pieces. After the peach liquid has boiled for 25 minutes, add the peaches to it and bring back to a boil over medium-high heat. When boiling, reduce heat to medium and let cook until the dumplings are ready to drop. On a floured surface, roll out one of the balls of dough to about 1/8-inch thick. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into long strips about 1 1/2-inch wide; then cut each strip crosswise into 1 1/2-inch squares. Repeat steps for the other ball of dough. Start dropping the dumplings into the boiling peaches and syrup; gently pushing them down into syrup with the back of a spoon. When all the dumplings have been added, let cook for about 25 minutes, frequently pushing dumplings down into the syrup. When done, the dumplings should look somewhat translucent and the syrup is thickened. Serve warm or cold with whipping cream or chilled evaporated milk poured over it, topped with prepared whipped cream (or Cool Whip), or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. NOTE: If your dumplings are a bit thick, you might need to cover the pot and cook for about 10 minutes, then finish cooking uncovered. I did not cover mine since I wanted the syrup to thicken more.

Steps:

• Roll out the dough into a rectangle so it is about an 1/8 of an inch thick (no more than a 1/4 inch). Cut the dough into 6 squares. On sheet pan lay out your peach halves. If you'd like, you can peel the peaches, but it is not necessary. Sprinkle the sugar and spices evenly over the peaches. Drizzle a few drops of vanilla onto the peaches then add a bit of the butter to the center of each peach half. Now take 2 halves of the peach and close them with the butter, sugar and spices inside. Hold them closed. Place the held closed peach into the center of a dough square. Pull the sides of the dough up around the peach. pinch the dough closed to seal the peach inside. Once the dough is closed, with your hand gently mold the dough so it hugs the peach and stays in shape. If you have extra dough hanging cut it off (you will gather the extra dough scraps and make leaves later). Repeat this with all of the peaches. Heat your oven to 450 degrees. In a baking dish that will fit comfortably all of your peaches gently place your dough covered peaches. Set the baking dish in the fridge while you make the sauce and leaves. The leaves are just cute, leave them off if you are not in the mood for the fuss. In a small saucepan heat the sugar and the butter. When the sugar begins to color swirl the pan to make the sugar color evenly. Be very careful...the sugar is EXTREMELY HOT. This should not be done by, or with, children!!!! When the sugar has taken on a nice amber color add the heavy cream. With a whisk make sure all the sugar is dissolved. Add the brandy, continue to stir. Once you no longer smell alcohol turn the heat down and reduce the sauce (at a simmer) for a couple of minutes. Take the sauce off the heat once its a slightly thickened and add the vanilla, salt and the final tablespoon of butter . Combine with the whisk. You should have a smooth velvety wonderful flavored caramel sauce. This stuff is delicious even without the dumplings!!!!! Now gather your dough scraps and re-roll them so you can cut out leaf shapes to garnish your dumplings. You can make the leaf veins using the back of your knife. Egg wash the dumplings and attach the leaves (I made two leaves per dumpling). Next, sprinkle sanding sugar over the dumplings.Now you will pour the caramel sauce into the pan with the dumplings without pouring the sauce onto the dumplings themselves. This is very important!!! The sauce should go between and around but NOT over or on the dumplings. Bake the dumplings at 450 degrees for about 45 minutes. If they seem to be getting too dark turn the temperature down to 400 for the last 10 minutes or so. Use your judgement on that. Have a platter ready to move the dumplings to when you take the pan out of the oven. The dumplings will need to be moved after they rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to move them. They will be fragile on the bottom. The sauce will be caramelized and thick. Drizzle a little of it over the dumplings or around the sides. Serve while warm, with ice cream if you like.

Steps:

• 1. In a large pot or dutch oven, combine the peaches & syrup/juice, water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and butter. Over medium heat, cover and bring mixture to a boil; stirring occasionally to ensure butter and seasonings are well dispersed. Cook for approximately 15 minutes. **You can add more sugar to taste once the peaches have cooked for a little while.
• 2. While the peaches are cooking, prepare the dumpling dough. Sift the flour in a medium or large bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour until you get a mealy consistency. Gradually add the cold water, mixing just until the dough holds together. Do not add too much water. Knead lightly 4 to 5 times. ~ Mealy Consistency - you will finely cut the shortening into the flour.
• 3. On a floured surface, roll out the dough very thinly (no thicker than about 1/4" thick). Cut into 2 to 2 1/2 inch wide strips; then cut each strip diagonally into even pieces. ~~Picture is of my mom kneading and cutting the dough strips. I just had to add her in this!
• 4. Place enough strips of dough into the boiling peach mixture to cover and press them down into the juice. Cook those strips for approximately 7 minutes. Repeat the process (of adding dough strips & cooking) until all of the dough has been used up. Cook until the dumplings look translucent and start to settle into the juice and the juice thickens....then they are done. *Once you add & start cooking the dumplings, you may need to add a little more water.

Steps:

• Stir water, sugar, and butter together in a pot over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture has a syrupy texture, 5 to 10 minutes. Add peaches to syrup; bring to a boil.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Stir milk into flour mixture until a stiff batter forms.
• Drop batter by large spoonfuls into boiling peach syrup; cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat to medium, and cook until dumplings are set, about 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and put through a ricer or mash.
• Place the riced potatoes onto a large clean work surface. Crack the egg over the top, then gradually work in the flour with your hands until you get a nice stiff dough. You may not need to use all of the flour, or you may need to use more. This could take as long as 30 minutes, or just seem like it. Let the dough rest for a minute before rolling.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. You may need to roll out 1/2 at a time. cut the dough into 8x8 inch squares - larger or smaller depending on the size of your peaches. Wrap each peach in a square of dough, and pinch all of the seams to seal it in.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the peach dumplings into the water. The peach should be as close to covered with the water as it can get. We usually had 2 or 3 pots with boiling water because you can only fit about 3 to 4 peaches per pot. Boil for 20 minutes, rotating after 10 for even cooking. Remove from water using tongs or a large slotted spoon.
• To serve, place a peach dumpling onto a plate, and cut it up. Remove the pit, and sprinkle with melted butter, sugar and vanilla wafer crumbs.