The Event ~ Making Blackberry Dumplings

Blackberries are a treat here in western Nebraska.  I don't really know if they actually are available or grow anywhere else, unless someone elsewhere is given seed from a blackberry harvest.  They are not the dime-size bumpy blackberries you buy in the store.  These are round little pea-size fruits, and it takes a long time to pick them and a whole lot to make something. 

Now I have several bags of blackberries hoarded in my freezer from the last two summer crops.  I never seem to get around to using them.  I only use them for dumplings and for dinna kuchen.  In anticipation of all the kids being home for Christmas I spent an evening making blackberry dumplings, but freezing them before cooking them and having them ready to go for a Friday nite meal when they all get here.  So now all I have to do is cook them.  Tra-la-  dumplings on the table.  What a good mom!  But no one adult can pig out on them as I only made 33 of them for for the 15 of us who will be here to eat them.  Bad mom (should have made more!) 

THE RECIPE:

The dough:  Beat together, preferably with a dough hook, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup water, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt  until a nice soft dough is formed.  Roll out to about 1/8" thick.  Cut into 4" squares (more or less). 

The filling:  Coat about five cups more or less of partially frozen blackberries with about a cup of flour and 3/4 cup of sugar (each more or less). 

Using a large cookie scoop, put 1/2 cup (more or less)  on a square, pull up the corners and pinch together, making sure the seams do not separate.

Drop a few dumplings in pot of boiling water and cook for 2-4 minutes (more or less) and remove from water with a slotted spoon.  Put into large flat bowl (something with alot of bottom surface so the dumplings don't have to be piled on top of each other).  The dumplings will begin to be layered very carefully.  Pour warm cream over all and top with toasted bread cubes.

To make toasted bread cubes, I melt butter in the oven on a cookie sheet and spread cubed bread over the butter and mix and coat evenly and let toast to golden brown in the oven.  Watch carefully as they can burn quite fast.  I know, I usually burn them!

Sitting down to a meal of blackberry dumplings is a treat, a real eventful dining experience.