Chef Lous Burnt Sugar Dumplings Recipes

BURNT-SUGAR DUMPLINGS - YUM!

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking powder, sugar & salt together. Cut in the butter w/a pastry blender.
• Add the walnuts & stir in the milk all at once (mixing only enough to moisten the flour) & set aside.
• Heat 1/2 cup sugar in a skillet till it melts to a golden brown syrup. Add butter, salt & remaining sugar. Stir to combine.
• Add hot water gradually & stir constantly. Heat to boiling & cook till the sugar is dissolved, stirring freq (about 10 min).
• Drop dumpling mixture by tablespoons into the gently boiling caramel sauce. Reduce heat, cover tightly & simmer the dumplings gently for 12-15 min w/o removing the lid.
• Serve dumplings immediately w/caramel sauce.

CARAMEL DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat the butter, brown sugar and water to boiling. Reduce heat to simmer. , Meanwhile, combine the dumpling ingredients; add apple if desired. Drop by tablespoonfuls into the simmering sauce. Cover tightly and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not lift lid. If desired, serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

CHEF JOHN'S CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Place chicken in a Dutch oven. Add water, carrot, celery, onion, 3 sprigs of thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove chicken from dutch oven and transfer to a bowl; set aside to cool.
• Increase heat and bring the stock to a simmer. Skim off any chicken fat that appears on top of the stock and reserve in a bowl. Combine 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved fat with flour in a small bowl; stir to make a paste, adding more flour if needed. Add the chicken fat and flour mixture to the stock. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Remove chicken meat from the carcass and add to the stock. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Continue simmering for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Whisk creme fraiche, milk, 2 teaspoons of thyme leaves, and eggs together in a large bowl. Stir in self-rising flour until almost entirely incorporated; do not overmix.
• Scoop large dollops of dumpling mixture on top of the chicken stock. Increase heat slightly to medium-high. Cover and simmer until dumplings appear light and fluffy, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve garnish with thyme sprigs.

CHEF JOHN'S APPLE DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter a baking dish.
• Combine brown sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, and water in a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and boil until all sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat and swirl pot gently to combine. Reserve sauce until needed.
• Stir sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Core the unpeeled apples.
• Divide pie dough into 4 portions. Roll out on a lightly floured surface into 4 circles about 1/8-inch thick and 7 inches in diameter, or large enough to fully wrap an apple.
• Place apples in the center of each round of dough. Spoon about 3 teaspoons of cinnamon sugar into the apple cores; fill each hole with a teaspoon of butter.
• Wrap each apple up in pie dough, sealing the dough together at the top. Be careful not to pull and stretch it too tightly around the apple as you wrap, or it might break apart when it bakes; brush lightly with water if dough won't stick together. Even out the top and trim off any excess; shape into decorative leaves if desired.
• Place wrapped apples seam-side up into the buttered baking dish. Ladle some sauce over each to cover completely.
• Bake in the preheated oven, basting with sauce occasionally, until pastry is browned and cooked through and apples are tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste with more sauce. Serve warm.