![Sallie Ann Robinson's Blackberry Dumplins](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.southernliving.com/thmb/sZCkh8DEsJ8VaIzxYN7uvUzVhmg=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/print_blackberry-dumplins_0-2000-acd202ca43cd46738eaa5cc82ad1312f.jpg)
For some, old-fashioned blackberry dumplings are a dish you grew up eating and long to make again. They'll evoke memories of picking fresh blackberries in the summer, and rushing through dinner to get to dessert. If you haven't had the pleasure, these fluffy dumplings soaked in a bright, sweet blackberry sauce are light but hearty, and Sallie Ann Robinson's recipe is the perfect one to try.
Juicy, ripe blackberries simmer and thicken to create a sweet and tangy sauce. A light dumpling batter is portioned into the vat of bubbling fruit, and the juice coats and perfectly soaks into the fluffy dumplings as they swell.
Serve warm dumplings with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream to make this mouthwatering dish completely irresistible.
"This is a very special and easy dessert. Momma would make this for us after we spent hours picking blackberries, making all the work worth it." — Sallie Ann Robinson
All About Sallie Ann Robinson
Sallie Ann Robinson is a sixth-generation Gullah born on Daufuskie Island in South Carolina. As a renowned chef and cookbook author, she shares Gullah recipes, focusing on fresh ingredients and simple dishes. She’s one of only a few native Gullah—descendants of enslaved African Americans who settled in the Lowcountry—who still live on the island. She is noted for her knowledge of Gullah culture and history, and currently runs a tour company on Daufuskie Island, sharing the rich history of the island and generations that came before.
Her latest cookbook, Sallie Ann Robinson’s Kitchen: Food and Family Lore from the Lowcountry, showcases Gullah dishes passed down through generations, including these heavenly Blackberry Dumplings.
Ingredients for Blackberry Dumplings
To make these dumplings, you'll need:
- fresh or frozen blackberries
- sugar
- water
- self-rising flour
- salt
- vegetable shortening
While frozen blackberries mean you can make this dessert year-round, there's nothing like using fresh, ripe summer blackberries, still warm from the sun.
How To Make Blackberry Dumplings
The full list of instructions is below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:
- Step 1. Cook berries: Start by boiling blackberries, sugar, and water in a medium pot until thickened. Keep warm over low heat.
- Step 2. Make the dumplings: In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, sugar, and shortening with 1/4 cup water, adding water as needed until the dough is scoopable.
- Step 3. Cook dumplings: Raise heat under blackberries to medium, and scoop 1 teaspoon of dough at a time into the pot, leaving a bit of room for them to swell as they cook. Flip with a spoon as they begin to float. Cook until dumplings are fluffy throughout; serve warm.
Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse.
Ingredients
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1 lb. fresh or frozen blackberries
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2 cups sugar
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2 cups water
Dough:
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1 cup self-rising flour
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1/2 tsp. salt
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1 tsp. sugar
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3 Tbsp. vegetable shortening (Crisco or lard, but not oil)
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1/4 to 3/4 cup water
Directions
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Boil blackberries:
Place blackberries, sugar, and 1 cup water in a medium saucepot; bring to a boil over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until it thickens to a sauce. Reduce the heat to low and keep the blackberries warm as you make the dough.
-
Make dumpling dough:
In a large mixing bowl, stir to combine flour, salt, sugar, and vegetable shortening with 1/4 cup water. Add more water, up to 3/4 cup, as needed until the dough is loose and soft enough that you can scoop it out with a spoon.
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Heat berry mixture:
Increase the heat of the blackberry pot to medium.
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Cook dumplings:
Scoop 1 teaspoon of dough at a time and drop it into the saucepot of blackberries. When the dough rises to the top of the blackberry sauce, use a tablespoon to turn it so the dough cooks evenly as it hardens. Drop in as many teaspoons of dough as you can at the same time, but leave a little room between them for the dough to swell. When all the dough is turned and has the consistency of a doughnut, the blackberry dumplings are ready to eat.
Permissions
From Sallie Ann Robinson's Kitchen: Food and Family Lore from the Lowcountry by Sallie Ann Robinson. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, September 2019. Reprinted with permission.