Challenge Book #40 - Golden Syrup Dumplings

These are golden syrup dumplings. Golden by name, golden by nature. I made these to fight back against the bitter cold snap that is invading my world. The mecury in my weather thermometer is barely making an appearance these days. I wouldn't be surprised if it has gotten the hump and gone off to scoff maitais in Waikiki. I know I want to.



I made these dumplings in lieu of one of my favourite winter time desserts - golden syrup steamed pudding. My Mum's is just the best - feather light with great lashing of syrup and egg custard. After our weekly Sunday night roast beef dinner, my sister and I would to snuggle down under an eiderdown (not that it ever got this cold) to watch TV and scoff a big bowl full. YUM!!



These dumplings are almost as good. The dumplings were lovely and light. But there was just not enough of the golden syrup sauce to go with them. You need lashings of it. Lashing and lashings. But I didn't mind too much, because the dumplings soaked up a fair bit of sauce around their edges so they were still lovely and moist and syrupy. Again, YUM! Have I said that often enough yet.



These dumplings are a snap to make. Karen Martini made some on a TV show recently, so here is a video demonstration. The recipe is quite similar. See how much sauce she has, that's how it should be! Karen serves hers with ice cream, which is great or that hot and cold sensation. But I prefer just pouring cream.

You must be very careful when eating them. The syrup sauce comes out very hot and it is very easy to burn your mouth!!!

I'm not sure how available golden syrup is outside of Australia, the UK and NZ. This will tell you a bit about what it is and what it looks like. If you are a novice and you get the chance, do try some. I love it, especially on hot buttered toast or pancakes.

Today's recipe is bought to you by the CWA Cookery Book and Household Hints. Which is by the way Challenge Book #40 in the KJ wants a Kitchen Aid Challenge. Now this book is no stranger on this blog. I have a lot of fun with it in the past (see here and here). I was quite tempted to try yet another intriguingly obscure recipe (like Middlesex Pie - a rather alluring combination of kangaroo and pickled pork cheeks). But in the end I stuck to the straight and narrow. Maybe next time.

Golden Syrup Dumplings
(adapted from CWA Cookery Book)

1 cup self raising flour
20gm butter
1 egg
a little milk

Rub butter into the flour add the egg and enough milk to form a soft dough. Roll into little balls (around 12).

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
15 gm butter
1 tbspn (4 tspn) golden syrup*

Place in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Lower the dough balls into the mix on a large spoon. Cover and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes (or until the dough balls are puffed and cooked through).

Serve immediately with pouring cream.

*This is an Australian recipe so 1 Tbspn = 4 tspn (20ml). 1US tbspn = 3 tspn (15ml).