General Chat

I used butter.

I've also made them with some polenta mixed in with the flour (they were the worst!)

I'll try again this week and won't mess with them too much... and I'll let you know.

would a "scone" mixture work? Wouldn't use milk.

This is hilarious........ I can make all sorts of "fancy" stuff, but have problems with a basic, like dumplings.

Butter LS??? It has to be shredded suet (packet) and self raising flour and water. No butter!!

No quite, often just drop them into the hot stew as they are....., while its still cooking.......

Aunts Bessie's dumpling mix from the super market works every time. I have tried Tescos own brand but they were not nice

I know I should make them from scratch, but I can't be bothered and Aunty Bessie makes them better than me

Butter is what the recipe called for! I'll have to look for suet.

Thanks Bob, i am vegetarian and so do not make a lot of stews these days .. as i eat soya mince , but i might just make and freeze some at your suggestion :-)

I make them the same way my Mum always did. Like a pastry mix, so half fat to flour, salt and enough water to bind. However, you must use self-raising flour.

Make into balls about the size of a golf ball and place on top of a pan of simmering stew, pop the lid on and wait for them to rise.

Butter? Never heard of it in dumplings - Atora suet.

Suet Dumplings:

100g SR flour

half teaspoon salt

50g shredded suet

! -2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs (optional)

Cold water to mix.

1) sift the flour and salt. Stir in the suet, herbs and sufficient water to form a soft manageable dough.

2) knead lightly and form into walnut sized balls, rolling between the palms of hands with a little extra flour if necessary.

4) Place the dumplings on the top of a hot, simmering casserole or stew. Cover and cook in a hot oven or on the hob for 20 minutes.

Note can also be cooked in the microwave, in a hot simmering casserole. Cover and cook until light and well risen: about 4 1/2 - 5 minutes


Herbed Dumplings

100g plain flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

half teaspoon salt 25g butter or margarine 3 tbsp. chopped herbs or 3 tsp dried herbs

I egg beaten

milk for mixing

1) sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Rub in the butter or margarine finely and stir in the herbs.

2) mix in the eggs and sufficient milk to make a soft but manageable dough.

3) knead lightly and form into walnut size balls, rolling between the palms of the hands with a little extra flour if necessary.

Place the dumplings on top of a simmering hot casserole or stew. Cover and cook in hot oven or on the hob for about 20 minutes.

Can also be microwaved:

1) drop on the top of a hot simmering casserole or stew in a deep large dish. Cover and cook until light and well risen about 41/2 - 5 minutes OR

2) place the dumplings on a well greased plate allowing sufficient room for them to rise. Cover loosely with clingfilm making a slit with the end of a sharp knife and cook for 2 - 21/2 minutes. Serve immediately with a casserole or stew

I could just eat stew and dumplings after reading all this. I use Atora suet as my mum always did . My brother puts his in the slow cooker and says they come out just the same as in a pan, light and fluffy .

I've never bought suet. No idea where it will be in the supermarket!

Scozz, it should be near the baking items

Suet, as I knew it in the UK is very hard to find, it seems to be a suet 'mix' in WA

I did find a packet of vegetable 'suet' made from coconut but not yet tried it. I'm making a beef and Guinness casserole today so I'll give it a try.

Before switching to olive oil when making our Christmas puddings I used to buy some suet fat (beef kidney fat) from the abattoir, render it and keep a block in the fridge. Then I grated it as and when necessary.

Mostly I've used the second recipe I posted (herbed dumplings) with a modicum of success

Scozz, I can't remember whether I bought the Atora Vegetable suet in C****s or in Woo**s, but in either case if it is not near the baking goods try looking in the areas that stock the 'imported' foods

A vegetarian suet made from coconut? Would coconut oil work? It's called oil, but it's solid until it warms up.

Oh you have reminded me of my later Mum's dumplings, they were lovely, made with suet and light as a feather.

My o.h. doesn't like suet pastry, so I often just buy myself a small suet pastry steak and kidney pie but will look for the mix from the supermarket then I can make my own dumplings and he can go without lol


Lizx

I have just remembered years ago when I was in my 20s that I would make a dessert from small dumplings cooked with tinned apricots, will have to try that again if I can remember how to do it, think I put the fruit and syrup/juice in a pan and cooked the dumplings on top of the fruit. Very sweet and fattening tho lol


Lizx

Scozz,

I've just checked the Ingredients on the packet:

Vegetable oils(59%) (Palm, Sunflower) Wheat Flour Stabiliser: Pectin.

My casserole went in the oven about15 minutes ago. It would have gone in sooner but I got an annoying phone call from 'Telstra Investigation Officer' advising that another ISP number had tried to access my computer.

He gave me his name and Telstra employee i.d. number but was reluctant to give a phone number until I kept on at him. He claimed to be in Perth, but the number was a mobile number which he said would go via Melbourne as that is the way all Telstra's calls are routed.

Strange and suspicious

I said that I would call it when I had time. He was most insistent that he needed a time of call-back so that he could be there.

I have a 1300 number for Telstra in Melbourne so I might phone them to find out what's going on

Oh yes, he had a very thick Asian accent :-0 :-| :-D :-D

Asda sell original and vegetarian Atora suet.... :-)

Because I make dumplings without suet (Norfolk Dumplings:Hairy Bikers and also Marguerite Patten) I have wondered if I could also make a steamed pudding, maybe a jam roly, without using fat.

Trouble is that it would be an awful lot of pudd'n to waste if it didn't work.

Don't see why not Sharron...

a bit of jam and dough won't be much of a loss to your purse if it doesn't work..lol