MAMA LACHUTE'S BLACKBERRY DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• For the blackberry filling:
• In a medium saucepan, combine the blackberries with the sugar, 3 cups of the water and lemon juice. Cook until the berries are soft and a heavy syrup has formed, about 15 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and strain off the syrup from the berries. Set the berries aside with 1/2 cup of the syrup and return the remaining syrup to the saucepan.
• Add the remaining 1 cup water, the vanilla, and the butter to the syrup in the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• For the dumpling dough:
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
• Using a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingertips, cut in the 6 tablespoons butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the yeast mixture and the buttermilk to the flour mixture, stirring only until just incorporated. Do not overwork the dough.
• Drop the biscuit dough, by the tablespoonful, in batches, into boiling syrup and cook until the dumplings float to the surface and they are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the dumplings from the syrup and place in small bowls. Ladle some of the hot syrup and cooked berries over the top of the dumplings. Serve garnished with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of ice cream.