Dumplings

Dumplings to go with your chicken and dumplings dish. These are light and fluffy and my new recipe. I got tired of my dumplings sinking to the bottom of the soup and being heavy lumps. I no longer wing it, I actually follow a recipe!

Taken from Cook's Illustrated September/October 2009 issue.

I haven't included a chicken recipe because it's really just chicken noodle soup and dumplings. You can google your own recipes for chicken soup, but I usually just do it on the fly. I suggest using chicken thighs and drumsticks. I found my soup far more tastier that way than when I used to just use a whole chicken. I also use chicken stock from the store when I make my chicken soup so it's a nicer, richer broth. That's all I can advise. :) It's all trial and error - god knows it's taken me a while to get the right stuff together for my chicken soup.

Ingredients

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp table salt
3/4 c cold buttermilk (see note)
4 TBSP (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg white

Method

Whisk flour, baking soda, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Combine buttermilk and melted butter in medium bowl, stirring until butter forms small clumps; whisk in egg white. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of bowl.

Make sure stew is simmering. You can either use a greased tablespoon measure (or #60 portion scoop) or a teaspoon to drop over top of the stew, spacing about 1/4 of an inch apart. You should have about 24 dumplings...or in my case, 9 big fatty ones. Hah! Wrap lid of Dutch oven with a clean kitchen towel, keeping the towel away from the heat source (You don't want to set your kitchen on fire, do you? ) and cover the pot. Simmer gently until dumplings have doubled in size and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 13 to 16 minutes.

Serve immediately

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

As always, bold italics are suggestions!

I love this time of the year and I've got to share a whole bunch of ginger cookie recipes. I know I've got a ginger molasses cookie out here already, but I just love, love L O V E big soft ginger cookies.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon water (I tend to use orange juice because it brings out the flavor of the ginger)

1/4 cup molasses

2 tablespoons white sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Vanilla Extract

Forget buying vanilla extract, girlfriend! Make your own...plus, your own vanilla extract will totally surpass that store bought stuff in terms of taste. It also will be far easier on your wallet!

Ingredients

1 vanilla bean
3/4 c hot vodka
A one cup (or 2 cup if you double the recipe) sealable container

Method

Split a fresh bean length wise and scrape out the seeds. Place the seeds and split pod in the container. Then add 3/4 c hot vodka and let the mixture cool to room temp. Seal the container and store at room temp for one week, shaking gently everyday. Strain the extract (if you want to) and store in a cool dark, place.

This should keep indefinitely.