Chicken and Dumplings

Great recipe from an old Betty Crocker Cookbook.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons shortening
• 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 cup milk
• 1  broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
• 4 1⁄2 cups cold water
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 1  stalk celery & leaves, cut up
• 1  medium carrot, cut up
• 1  small onion, cut up
• 1  sprig parsley

Directions

1. (Directions for dumplings).
2. Cut shortening into flour, baking powder and salt with pastry blender until mixture resemble fine crumbs. Stir in milk. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto hot meat or vegetables in boiling stew (don't drop directly into liquid).good luck with that statement! Cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover and cook 10 minutes longer. 10 dumplings; 105 calories per dumpling.
3. Cheese dumplings; Add 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheese (one ounce) with the flour.
4. Herb dumplings;Add 1/2 teaspoon herbs (such as dried sage leaves, celery seed or dried thyme leaves) with the flour.
5. Parsley dumplings; Add 3 Tbsps. snipped parsley or chives with the flour.
6. (Directions for Chicken and broth).
7. Remove any excess fat from chicken. Place chicken, giblets (except liver) and neck in Dutch oven. Ad remaining ingredients; heat to boiling. Skim foam; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until thickest pieces of chicken are done, about 45 minutes.
8. Remove chicken from broth; cool chicken just until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Strain broth trough cheescloth-lined sieve. Remove chicken from bones and skin; cut up chicken. Discard bones, skin and vegetables. Skim fat from broth. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate broth and chicken in separate containers up to 24 hours or freeze for future use.
9. *3 to 3 1/2 pounds chicken necks, backs and giblets (except liver) can be used to make broth.