Ingredients:

  • ½ cups All-Purpose Flour (spooned and leveled)
  • tablespoon Baking Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • tablespoons Fresh Parsley (finely chopped)
  • tablespoon Fresh Chives (finely snipped)
  • tablespoons Unsalted Butter (cold, cut into small cubes)
  • ¾ cup Whole Milk or 2% Milk (cold)

Instructions:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley and chives until evenly distributed.
  2. Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Use your fingertips or a pastry blender to quickly cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized pieces remaining. Keep this process fast to avoid melting the butter.
  3. Pour the cold milk into the flour-butter mixture. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the ingredients together just until the dry streaks disappear. Stop mixing immediately; the batter should be sticky and shaggy. Overmixing develops gluten and leads to tough dumplings.
  4. Ensure your stew or broth is at a gentle, steady simmer—not a rolling boil. A rolling boil will knock the dumplings apart.
  5. Using two teaspoons, scoop up a portion of batter (about 1.5 tablespoons) and gently drop it directly onto the surface of the simmering liquid, leaving space between each dumpling.
  6. Immediately cover the pot tightly with a lid. Do not lift the lid for the first 12 minutes; the trapped steam is essential for puffing them up.
  7. After 12 minutes, lift the lid. The dumplings should be puffed and light. Test one by inserting a skewer or toothpick; it should come out clean. If not, cover and cook for another 3–5 minutes.
  8. Carefully remove the finished drop dumplings with a slotted spoon and serve immediately nestled atop your stew or broth.