Description
Grandpa’s Maple Dumplings, also known as Grandpères, is a traditional Canadian recipe featuring soft dumplings simmered in warm maple syrup and water. This comforting dish can be enjoyed as a sweet breakfast, dessert, or a satisfying late-night treat. The dumplings are tender, mildly spiced with cinnamon, and perfectly complemented by the rich sweetness of pure maple syrup.
Ingredients
Scale
Dumplings
- 2 – 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 3/4 cup milk
Syrup Mixture
- 2 cups maple syrup
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Stir well to ensure all the dry ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Cut in Butter: Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mixture until the texture resembles pea-sized crumbs. This step ensures a tender dumpling texture.
- Add Milk and Form Dough: Pour in the milk and mix until the dough forms a loose, wet bread-like mass. Be careful to avoid overmixing; the dough should hold together but remain slightly sticky.
- Prepare Syrup Base: In a pot, combine the maple syrup and warm water. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, ensuring it doesn’t boil aggressively which could toughen the dumplings.
- Add Dumplings to Simmering Syrup: Shape the dough into small balls by hand or with a spoon and gently drop them into the simmering syrup. Keep the simmer steady and cook the dumplings for about 20 minutes, or until they are cooked through and have puffed up.
- Serve Hot: Remove the dumplings carefully from the pot and serve hot. Enjoy them plain, with some of the cooking syrup poured over, or paired with scoops of cold vanilla ice cream for a delightful contrast.
Notes
- Grandpères are traditionally served hot and sweet, often complemented with vanilla ice cream for a rich and creamy contrast.
- This dish can be enjoyed as a hearty breakfast, a comforting dessert, or a midnight snack.
- The recipe is a cherished Canadian heritage treat, preserved through generations.
- Ensure the syrup simmers gently to prevent stirring up sediment and to cook the dumplings evenly.
- Dumplings can be adjusted in size but smaller ones cook faster and absorb more syrup flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 40 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 65 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
