Mixed Berry Slump

In 'Summer Gatherings' by Rick Rodgers

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 4  pints mixed berries, such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, hulled sliced strawberries
• 3⁄4 cup sugar (or more to taste)
• 1⁄2 cup  fresh orange juice
• 4  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2  tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup water

• Dumplings

• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 3  tablespoons sugar
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 8  tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and thinly sliced
• 2⁄3 cup  whole milk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Other

•  vanilla ice cream

Directions

1. Combine the berries, sugar, orange juice, and butter in a nonreactive, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
3. Cook until the berries give off their juices, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the dissolved cornstarch and return to the boil.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
6. Meanwhile, make the dumplings.
7. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
8. Add the butter, and using a pastry blender or a large fork, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture looks crumbly with a few pea-sized pieces of butter.
9. Mix the milk and vanilla in a measuring cup and stir into the flour mixture.
10. Drop the dough by heaping teaspoons into the simmering berries to make 16 dumplings.
11. Cover the saucepan and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, about 20 minutes.
12. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand, with the lid ajar, to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
13. Serve the berries warm in individual bowls, each serving topped with 2 dumplings and a scoop of ice cream.