Hi Gemini! I was kinda surprised mine turned out nice, especially for my first time. Since this is my first time, don't quote me, but here goes! I think the secret is dough preparation - too sticky and they come out hard and mushy, too dry and they're more like big biscuits. For cooking, make small 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls with just the right amount of baking powder. I doubled my recipe cuz you're right! Mom never made enough dumplings!
Here it is briefly:
1 & 1/3 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk (full, not skim)
4 tablespoons oil
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix the ingredients with something like a wooden spoon so it won't stick. Then slowly add extra flour till almost all of the stickiness is gone, but still a bit sticky. Drop by 1 to 1 & 1/2 inch balls atop chicken and stew - try to keep them on the very top, as much on the chicken as possible (so they don't get soggy and sticky). I put them 1/2 way into the stew and that seemed to work great. I seasoned and steamed 3 half breasts separately for 20 minutes. Then I poured the "stew" into a slow cooker which I preheated on high with 4 tablespoons of oil. I added about a half cup of water to almost cover the chicken, a little flour for texture and more seasonings (whatever you like - I used dry mustard, sage, oregano, garlic, onion powder, cayenne pepper and salt). Simmer on high in slow cooker for about 30-45 minutes, just till the dumplings puff all the way up and a toothpick comes out clean.
That's it! Hope this helps!
