Family Recipe--Dessert Dumplings

This recipe came from my Great-Grandmother--we're not sure where it first originated, but my grandmother used to make it for a sweet treat once in a while, as does my mother, and now I make it with my own kids.--it's always been a family favorite. My great-grandparents and grandparents were Italian immigrants, so we're assuming this comes from "the old country".

This recipe is VERY easy, and very yummy! Basically, you make an easy caramel sauce and drop in a lightly sweet dumpling dough. I hope you enjoy it!

Sauce:

2 Tablespoons butter

1 ½ cups brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups boiling water

Mix all sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until simmering. Meanwhile, make the dumpling dough.

Dumplings:

1 ½ cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup butter

2/3 cup milk

½ teaspoon vanilla

Sift together the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly (I use a few pulses on the food processor to make it quicker). Add the milk and vanilla. Stir gently to mix.

Drop heaping tablespoons of dough into simmering sauce. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes until the dough is firm. Serve warm.