Goal #53: Cook 3 Things from Every Cookbook I Own (39-40/45)

Chicken and Dumplings
Allison Family Cookbook (By Grandma Ruby)

1 large chicken, cut up
canned chicken broth to cover chicken in Dutch oven or large pot (about 2 quarts)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. coarse black pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 cups self rising flour
1 large egg, beaten

Simmer chicken in broth with salt and pepper until tender. Remove chicken from broth. Let cool, then remove skin, bone and gristle. Chicken should be in fairly large pieces. Leave broth in Dutch oven. Remove about 1 cup of broth and set aside for dumplings. Add chicken soup and check for seasonings. Add more salt and pepper, if desired.

Make dumplings by pouring flour in a large, making a well in the center and adding the beaten egg, plus enough reserved broth to make a soft dough. Do not overmix.

On a very clean surface, scatter extra flour, sprinkle flour on dough and rolling pin and roll dough to 1/8" thin or less. Dough should be as thin as you can make it and still get the dumplings off the floured surface. Cut dough into strips and let sit for 10-15 minutes to dry a little while broth heats on medium high.

When the broth is simmering, drop in the dumplings, one at a time, moving them around so they do not clump together. Be careful not to break them. They should rise a little. Let simmer for 5 minutes or until done. When dumplings are coked, add the chicken to the pot, heat gently and serve.

A whole chicken works best because of the flavor that comes from the backbone and ribs.

Melinda's Angel Biscuits
Allison Family Cookbook (By Melinda)

5 cups self rising flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
2 pkgs. dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups buttermilk

Combine flour with baking soda and sugar. cut in shortening. Dissolve yeast in warm water and add to buttermilk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour. Do not over combine; just until all ingredients are moist.

Bake at 450 degrees until golden brown. Cooked biscuits can be placed in a plastic bag and refrigerated or frozen.

(The recipe did not specify whether to roll out the biscuits and cut with a biscuit cutter or to drop them onto the baking sheet. I kind of rolled them as best as I could in my hand a little to shape them.) Mine didn't turn out as good as I remember Melinda's but they were still tasty with some homemade strawberry preserves from my mom.