Sounds to me like your mom used the recipe on the Bisquick box for drop biscuits and put them into the soup, popped a lid on and cooked them.
Linda C

That's what I do. Recipe from the box, drop 'em on top of the stew.

I've tried that . . but they get all fluffy and sort of fall apart. How do I make them be like big balls that stick to the roof of your mouth??

I've tried that . . but they get all fluffy and sort of fall apart. How do I make them be like big balls that stick to the roof of your mouth??

Add some Elmer's?

Alexa

What you're describing sounds like what my mother used to put in her Pennsylvania Dutch ham and bean soup. All she did was mix flour, eggs, salt and pepper into a pretty stiff dough and drop small amounts into the soup. She cooked them only five or ten minutes in the soup. We called them doughballs but she called them rivels.

We have a Knephla soup up here that has the firm dumplings. Flour, sometimes eggs, salt and pepper like Linda said. It was very firm dough and my Mom sorta rolled it and cut and snipped off with a scissors into her soup. Try a search for knephla and try that. I can't make Knephla dough like my mother did, but you can buy the knephla dough in our stores and thats what I use.

These are what my German Grandmother made and we loved them-they are the Knepfla's similar to nodakgal was talking about:
2c flour
pinch of salt
1 egg
3/4-1c water
Put 1 T of salt and a little oil in a kettle of water.
Combine flour, salt, egg, and enough of the cup of water to make a wet, sticky dough.
Drop tsp full of dough into boiling water and after they rise to the top, continue to
boil for 5 minutes. Serve with sauerkraut and sausage.
(It helps to dip the spoon in the boiling water each time before you scoop the dough.)
RL`

I thought I'd jump in here because I have the reverse problem. My mom always made bisquick dumplings for chicken soup. They were always delicious, light and fluffy. My mom passed away 21 yrs. ago and I've been trying to make those dumplings all these years and they always come out like rocks. I have tried all kinds of suggestions but they always turn out wrong. They either fall apart or you could bounce them off the wall. I even contacted Bisquick years ago and they told me they should be light and fluffy and that I must be overmixing them. I tried undermixing and they fell apart. I have given up. I'm not Jewish, but my husband is and I make the best matzoh balls - light and fluffy, but cannot master the bisquick dumplings.
Jane

I haven't cooked these in years.I used to cook them all the time and the only thing I can think of is you are not thicken the liquid before you add the dumplings.Try it as the dumplings will not suck all the juice which makes them hard as a rock or like my daughter,just melt away.Jessie

Jane_NY, I make those fluffy dumplings from the Bisquick box. I love them in bean soup. What I do is cook them separately in boiling (with a pinch of salt) water and cook them like the recipe says. Lid on for x-amount of time, then lid off. Then I add them to the soup. Wow, now I'm hungry for beans and dumplings.

Thanks Patti43, maybe I'll try that, but I think I'm 'dumpling challenged.' My mom would whip them together and drop them in the stew and they were like clouds. Mine are rocks. I have tried for years and always follow their directions. I called them once and they told me after mixing the batter to let it sit for 5 minutes to rise slightly. Tried that also and -- rocks --

Jane

Jane, The "Fluffy" dumplings are easy to make from scratch. I grew up on Biscuit Dumplings but prefer homemade better. Here are the recipes that I use. One has some bread and parsley in them, they are still light, but with a little texture.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

==========================

-------------------------------------
1 1/2 cups flour
1 Tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening(butter/margarine or crisco
3/4 to 1 cup of milk

Mix dry ingredients and cut in shortening. Add enough milk to make a soft wet dough. Drop by tablespoon on to the top of stew and cover and simmer on low for about 15 minutes.

--------------------------------------

--------------------------------------
2 cups flour
3 Tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of baking powder
Milk

Mix dry ingredients and cut in butter. Add enough milk to make a soft dough. Knead for a minute until smooth and let sit for 1/2 hour. Roll out dough to desired thickness. Dough should be on the thin side. Cut into 1/2 inch strips, 1 1/2 to 2 inches long.

Drop into boiling stew and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until noodles are cooked.

--------------------------------------

=======================
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 slices white bread, quartered
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Combine parsley and bread in processor; whirl until medium
size crumbs. Add 1 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; process just until combined. Add 1/2 cup milk and butter; process using on-off pulses just until blended. 5 Drop mounded tablespoons of dumpling mixture into stew.

Has anyone tried Anne's Dumplings from the frozen food section at the grocery store? I like thin rolled dumplings and wondered if these would be like that.

The Anne's Dumplings are good. My kid's love them

Jessie

This thread reminds me of my SIL. When she first set up housekeeping I presented her with a new cookbook. We were invited to dinner and she chose a recipe out of the new cookbook.....stew and dumplings. Well, the recipe gave instructions for dumplings but cautioned not to lift the lid on the pot...no peeking. She just couldn't resist oening the lid to see how everything was cooking, and giving the mix a stir. When she dished out the stew and dumplings, the dumplings were flat, heavy, and chewy.

When I make dumplings I prefer them light and puffed up, so I know not to peek during the cooking period. They do need a lot of the liquid.

I wanted to share something I have learned about whether a dumpling is more on the "hard" side that some like, or more on the "fluffy" side, liked by others. A lot of it has to do with the amount (or lack of) baking powder that you use. Flours are different in the moisture they absorb, but the amount of baking powder is more important. The less you use, the harder the dumpling. (I don't use Bisquick because I prefer homemade) Do experiment; it's worth it!

I think I may be of help with your dumplings. I do it the easy way and they always come out firm. I use all purpose flour, eggs, salt and pepper (and a little bit of cold water if the dough gets too dry). I start with 2 cups flour, 4 eggs and salt and pepper to your likening. Make a ball of dough(use your hands) and when it is a big ball, just cut pieces off the ball, make like a cigar. When ready to cook, put in salted boiling water (I either use a knife and cut little pieces or use my hand and tear pieces off)and drop in the boiling water. They will be done in about 15 minutes and when you test one, if it is not cooked to your taste leave about 5 more minutes. I usually cook them in potato water (peel and cut up the spuds, drop in the boiling water for 10 minutes then add your dumplings). Drain and put butter in the spuds and dumps and enjoy. I hope this helps and I hope it is easy what I have just written. Let me know how they came out. Gene

She probably used chicken stock/broth instead of milk to make her dumplings. My mother did this, a firmer dumpling that doesn't fall apart cooking.

I think you should try this recipe!! Its really nice !!

• Buckwheat flour 1,3 cup
• Egg 1
• Ground pork 0,8 lb.
• Onion 1
• White cabbage 0,4 lb.
• Salt to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste

Source : https://topfood.club/en/reczeptyi/main-dishes/meat-dumplings/moon-dumplings/easy-pork-moon-dumplings.html