Cajun Blackberry Dumplings

Courtesy of Louisiana Cookin’ columnist Frank Davis, New Orleans, LA

4 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup whole milk
2 large whole eggs, well beaten
3-1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
4 cups bottled water
1-1/2 quarts blackberries
whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, milk, eggs, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients and stir, but do not over-mix.

When dumpling batter is ready, combine water, 2 1/2 cups sugar, and blackberries in a large skillet. Cook fruit over a medium heat until mixture thickens. Drop dumpling batter by heaping teaspoonfuls into blackberry sauce mixture in skillet. Cover and cook until dumplings rise.

Test them with a fork to see if they are done. When a fork inserted into dumplings come out clean, remove them from the skillet and continue with the remaining batter.

Serve warm right out of the skillet with the blackberry sauce mixture ladled over. Top each dish with rich dollops of whipped cream or ice cream.