Blueberry Dumplings with Vanilla Ice Cream

There is nothing like blueberry desserts in the summer.  You can buy plump blueberries for cheap and serving them in this dumpling dessert is a great twist.  I served these the other night when we had some friends over and my friend Merrill described this dessert perfectly. She said it tasted like a warm blueberry muffin with ice cream.  The slightly sweet cake dumplings simmer in the blueberry sauce and soak up all the flavor.  This is such a great dessert because you can prepare the dumplings ahead and then cook them while you eat dinner so they will be ready to serve warm.  And best of all, it comes across as a complicated dessert, but couldn't be easier to make.  Enjoy!

 

  

 

Blueberry Dumplings with Vanilla Ice Cream
Recipe Notes
The term "cut the butter into the flour" simply means to mash the butter until it turns into crumbs in the flour mixture.  If you do not have a pastry cutter, a fork will work fine.  You can see in the picture above the crumb textured state of the dough before you add the milk.
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar, plus 1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of Salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 quart fresh or frozen blueberries
2 cups water
Vanilla ice cream (or fresh cream)
Step by Step 
1.  Stir flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
2.  Cut butter into dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or a fork.
3.  Add milk to form dough.  Using your hands, roll dough into golf ball size balls.
4.  In a large saucepan, combine berries, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and water and bring to a boil.
5.  Drop dumplings into hot boiling berries one at a time.
6.  Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook slowly for 20 to 30 minutes.
7.  Do not remove the lid before 20 minutes has passed, and do not stir the dumplings.
8.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh cream.