Maple Dumplings (Grandpères)
Each spring we look forward to maple dumplings, a decadent and boldly delicious maple-season treat.
Maple Dumplings (Grandpères) Recipe
Photo Credit : Adam Detour • Food Styling by Monica Mariano / Ennis inc. • Prop Styling by Vincent Russo / Ennis Inc.A dish that hails from the sugar shacks and logging camps of Quebec and Acadia, these tender dumplings are simmered in a mixture of maple syrup and water. As the starch from the dumplings is released during cooking, it thickens the liquid into a rich sauce. Topped with toasted nuts and whipped cream, this is a quick and comforting way to start (or end) your day.
From “New Vintage Cooking,” March/April 2017 and “Good As Gold,” March/April 2020
Yield:
6 servingsFor the sauce
Ingredients
2 ½ cups water
1 ½ cups maple syrup
1 tablespoon rum (optional, but recommended)
½ teaspoon table salt or fine sea salt
Instructions
In a 4- or 5-quart Dutch oven, bring water, syrup, rum, and salt to a low boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, make the dough.
For the dumplings
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
4 ½ tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup buttermilk
Chopped toasted pecans and whipped cream, for garnish
Instructions
Put flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of a food processor, and pulse them. Sprinkle in butter cubes and pulse 6 to 8 more times, or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and stir in buttermilk until evenly combined.
With a spoon, scoop up a walnut-size bit of dough. Drop it into the syrup, then repeat until the pot is two-thirds full (the dumplings expand). Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and let the dumplings simmer until fluffy and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. If the syrup gets too thick, add a bit of water to thin it out. Serve dumplings warm, topped with whipped cream and toasted pecans.
