Recipe - Blackberry Dumplings Jo Ann

DOUGH FROM OFFICIAL GRANNIE
1 Three fourths cup Unsifted allpurpose flour
2/3 cup Vegetable shortening
1 cup Sugar
Dash salt
One half teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Cold water

FILLING
4 cup Washed fresh blackberries
One fourth cup Allpurpose flour
One half cup Butter; or more

SYRUP
1 cup Simple Syrup; seenote
1 cup Crushed berries

TOPPING
1 cup Unwhipped cream
from neighbors cow if poss

Sift together flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with a
pastry blender until mixture resembles large coarse crumbs. Sprinkle water
over flour mixture, using a fork to stir it in gently to make it gather
into a ball (the less water the better ~ just enough to hold it together).
Turn out onto a lightly floured board and shape with your hands into two
balls, one slightly larger than the other. Chill dough for 1 hour, then
roll out ball to a 8" or 9" circle.
Now, mix sugar, butter and allpurpose flour in a separate bowl, then add
a dash of salt and stir in berries.
Mix some of the "crushed berries" into the simple syrup.
Mound about a cup of the berry mixture onto the circle of dough, fold over
the edges to enclose the filling.
Repeat until all dough and berries are used.
Preheat oven to 350f degrees.
The enclosed bundles of berries are placed in a 9x13 baking pan. Over this
a syrup is poured to the depth of the first knuckle of my grandmother's
index finger (maybe about one inch). I'm guessing it was a simple sugar
syrup, but maybe with the addition of some smashed blackberries. All of
this was cooked in a 350 degree oven until it looked REALLY goodbrown and
bubblywith the whole house smelling heavenly. Seenote; Simple Syrup 2 1/2
cups sugar
Three fourths cups light corn syrup 1 One fourth cups water Combine all ingredients
in a large saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar is completely
dissolved. When clear, wash down sides of pan with a brush dipped in cold
water. Cover saucepan for 5 minutes to allow steam to dissolve any
remaining sugar crystals. Uncover and increase the heat. Boil without
stirring for 5 minutes. cool, pour into jars, and cover tightly. Store at
room temperature. Makes about 2 Three fourths cups.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini