January 5, 1955 Stewed Chicken with Dumplings, Old Fashioned Soft Molasses Cookies

Stewed Chicken with Dumplings

4-5 pound plump hen, cut into serving size pieces
3 c. boiling water
2 t. salt
Dumplings

Cover chicken with boiling water, add salt. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 3 hours until chicken is tender. Just before serving, drop dumplings by teaspoonfuls onto the boiling broth, leave chicken in to help hold the dumplings in place. Cover lightly. Cook 12 minutes

Dumplings For Stews

1 1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
3/4 c. milk

Sift dry ingredients together. Add milk, stir only until well blended.

Trudy's Tips:

1. For an interesting vatiation, add 3 or 4 T. finely chopped parsley or chives to the sifted dry ingredients.
2. Dip your spoon first into the stew mixture then in dumpling batter. This will make the batter slide easily off the spoon.
3. DO NOT PEEK WHILE DUMPLINGS ARE COOKING. Serve at once Don't make dumplings if you aren't sure if the family will be on time for dinner.

Old Fashioned Soft Molasses Cookies

4 1/2 c. flour
 2 t. ginger
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
3 t. baking soda
1 c, shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 c. Brer Rabbit molasses
1 c. cold coffee or water

Sift flour with sugar, cinnamon, salt and soda. Cream shortening and sugar, add egg and mix well. Stir in molasses. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with flour mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake 425 degrees about 10 minutes. Yield 4 to 5 dozen.

Trudy's Tip: These cookies should be stored in a tightly covered cookie jar, and a few slices of bread should be placed with them to keep them soft.