My Great Grandma Zetsell shared the “recipe” for these dumplings, though my father thinks the recipe was brought from England with my great great Grandma Heighes. He said that they were a very inexpensive way to fill up hungry tummies when times were tight.
Dumplings are wonderful in chicken broth, with veggies, or with sausage, fried onions, mushrooms, garlic and butter. My favorite way though, is warm with some good butter and salt and garlic.
They do not reheat very well, so only make enough for one night.
(What fun, I learned that they are also called Kluski Kładzione and they are a polish drop noodle. Some recipes use milk in place of the water!)
- Put water to boil in a medium sized pot. Add salt if desired.
- Mix together flour, egg and water.
- It will form a very thick dough.
- Add more flour if too runny or water if too thick.
- Drop dough by spoonfuls into boiling water (or stock).
- Stir occasionally so they do not stick.
- Dumplings will float when they are cooked though. Either take them out to drain or keep them till all the dumplings are cooked.
- Drain dumplings well.
- Season with salt, garlic powder, onion powder and butter to taste. Serve with your favorite chicken stock.
- Another option is to saute onions and mushrooms with some butter. Mix dumplings into mixture to serve.
This is a simple noodle recipe. You can serve the dumplings many different ways. Experiment and see how you like them best!
Really they were brought to the US by Great-Great -Grandma Masters (one more great for you Joyce) who came to America in the mid 1800’s. Grandma Heighes was born in Michigan.
I think every nationality had a dumpling of their own.