serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole sour cherries, washed, drained, pitted
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon shortening, at room temperature
- 2⁄3 cup whole milk
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, as needed
Method
- In a good-sized Dutch oven with a cover, combine the cherries and sugar. Add almond extract. Bring to a boil. Maintain over medium heat.
- In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles rice kernels.
- Quickly stir in the milk with a fork until just blended.
- Drop the batter by tablespoons into the boiling cherries. Add water as needed to keep the dumplings submerged in liquid.
- Cover the Dutch oven tightly and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Serve the dumplings and hot stewed cherries with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
