This simple dessert is best made during the height of blueberry season as an easy and tasty way to use up the glut of berries. This dish has as many variations as it does names (blueberry bang belly, blueberries and dumplings), but any way you make it, it’s delicious.
Recipe courtesy of Nimbus Publishing, recipe adapted from Out Of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens.
Ingredients:
4 cups (1 litre) blueberries
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar (or more to taste)
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
Dumplings:
2 cups (500 ml) flour
4 tsp (20ml) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) butter
1 Tbsp (15 ml) shortening
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk, or more if necessary.
Directions:
1 Mix the blueberries, sugar and water. Add to a saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
2 Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl.
3 Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut the butter and shortening to the flour mixture. Add milk to flour and mix in until it starts to come together, making a soft biscuit dough. (You may need to add more milk if the mixture is very dry).
4 Place the blueberry mixture into a square pan.
5 Drop spoonfuls of the dough onto the hot blueberries.
6 Cover tightly with tin foil, as the dumplings gently cook. This should take about 15 minutes. Serve hot.