Cherokee Grape Dumplings
* 2 quarts ripe, seeded grapes
* 3 cups water
* 2 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 tsp. baking powder
* 2 tbsp. melted shortening
* 2 tbsp flour
* salt to taste
Boil grapes in 2 cups water over medium heat, use a heavy pot. When mixture boils, stir in sugar. In a bowl mix 1 cup water, shortening, salt and baking powder with flour. Dumplings may be formed with floured hands and dropped into the boiling juice mixture. Cover the mixture, let the dumplings boil for a few minutes, then set without heat for 5 – 10 minutes.
Grape Dumplings
* 1 cup flour
* 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
* 2 tsp sugar
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1 tbsp shortening
* 1/2 cup grape juice
Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and shortening. Add juice and mix into stiff dough. Roll dough very thin on floured board and cut into strips ½” wide (or roll dough in hands and break off pea-sized bits). Drop into boiling grape juice and cook for 10 – 12 minutes.
Some Cherokee cooks continue to make their grape dumplings by gathering and cooking wild grapes, or ‘possum grapes’ instead of grape juice.
The John Howard Payne Papers, a document from 1835 where the elders were interviewed for their knowledge of the old ways, tells us that around 1800, a grape dessert was made from boiling the grapes and mashing them and then adding corn meal to make a thick consistency. This seems to be the origin of what has been enjoyed for the last one hundred years or so as “Grape Dumplings.”
Ingredients
For the dumplings
- 1 cup all-purpose flour , plus extra for rolling
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup concord grape juice
For cooking
- 3 1/2 cups concord grape juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
Instructions
For the dumplings
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the butter is pea-sized or smaller. Add in the 1/2 cup grape juice and mix until just combined. (If you overmix it, it’ll be tough)
- On a heavily floured board, press the dough into a flat disc. You can roll it thinly, but I like them a little on the thick side. Cut into bite-sized bits with a pastry cutter or ravioli wheel.
For cooking
- Heat up the remaining grape juice and sugar in a large skillet with high sides until simmering. Drop in the dumplings and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring once or twice to make sure they don’t stick together. The grape juice should thicken into a sweet gravy. Serve immediately in bowls either plain, with heavy cream drizzled on top, or a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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