Blueberry Slump! Classic New England dessert, made on the stovetop with blueberries and steamed dumplings. Great way to beat the heat!
When it’s blueberry season, all thoughts (at least at my house) turn to pie or cobbler. Except when it’s so hot outside the asphalt is melting and the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven.
Enter the New England classic – Blueberry Slump! (or Blueberry Grunt if you’re from some parts)
A slump ismade entirely on the stovetop, no need to heat the kitchen with your oven. Into apot go blueberries, lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar, which you heat until the berries arebubbling.
On top of that hot blueberry lava you drop dumplingbatter and cover the pot. The steam gently cooks the dumplingsto fluffy, tender, biscuity clouds. No need to brown the dumplings, they’re perfect as is.
Serve with a generous helping of vanilla ice cream which conveniently will start melting as soon as it touches the hotberries, creating its own creamy blueberry sauce.
My father dreams of this dessert and keeps hinting to me to make more. I think you’ll like it too.
Blueberry Slump Recipe
Ingredients
Dumplings:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup milk
Blueberries:
- 4 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/3 cup water
- Vanilla ice cream or whipping cream for serving
Method
1 Make the dumplings: In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Cut the butter into small cubes and use your clean hands to work the pieces of butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
Make a well in the center and add the milk. Mix together with a fork or wooden spoon just until the dough comes together. Form it into a ball. It should be rather shaggy. Do not knead or over work it or the dumplings will be tough.
2 Heatthe blueberries: Place the blueberries, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and water into a medium (2 quart) saucepan. Stir so that the berries are well coated with everything. Heat on high heat until the berries start to boil.
3 Add the dumplings: When the blueberry mixture is boiling, pull off clumps of dumpling dough from the ball of dough and place on top of the berries. You should have enough dough for 6 dumplings, so portion accordingly.
4 Cover and cook: Cover the pan, and lower the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook for 25 minutes.
Do not uncover to peek at the dumplings while cooking! The dumplings need the steady steam and pressure from being covered to cook properly so they are light and fluffy.
5 Serve: Portion into individual serving bowls and top with vanilla ice cream or whipping cream.