X is for (oh-my-goodness-this-is-a-hard-letter) Xtra Amazing, Xtra Delicious, Xtra (insert your own adjective here) Warm Berries and Dumplings (Jennifer)

Hi friends,

'Twas the night before leaving for a conference and all through the house, this creature was stirring, doing absolutely everything possible to avoid packing. : ) Did you like that version of the song? Haha, well, tonight, I finally got around to my "X" recipe (as part of my procrastination strategy and something to do besides packing). This week, I'm definitely conceding to Jessica. She is awesome and actually found a recipe that began with "X." I'm cheating and making up my own recipe because, really, who wants to find xanthum gum, AND incorporate it into a recipe? Not in the cards for me this week. Instead, I turned to a recipe that appealed to my current need for comfort foods. And what says comfort food like a lil' dumplin'?

Warm Berries and Dumplings
from Joy the Baker

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen mixed berries
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a medium skillet, cook berries, lemon juice, 4 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 cup water over medium until slightly thickened, 11 to 13 minutes.  Berries may still look watery, but will cook down when you add the dumplings.



Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar; add melted butter and buttermilk, and stir until a moist dough forms. Dividing evenly, spoon 6 dollops of dough over fruit. Combine cinnamon and 1 teaspoon sugar, and sprinkle over dough.

Cover pan tightly with foil, and cook over medium-low until dumplings are set and tops are dry to the touch, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.







Review:

Love this recipe! Plan to make it over and over again this fall and winter. It comes together in a cinch, and allows me to use my fancy cast iron skillet! The only thing I'd do differently is omit the other berries besides blueberries. This is just because I don't care for seeds in my jelly, and that means I don't care for seeds in my dessert either. But, for those who don't mind seeds, the mix of berries was a great medley of flavors, from sweet to tart.

Enjoy!

Jennifer