When I first heard Hetty McKinnon, mention that there was a recipe for banana golden syrup dumplings in her new cookbook, Family, I was sitting in the front row of seats (nerd, that I am) at her book talk in Brooklyn, where we both live. And I knew immediately that that was the first recipe I’d be making from her new gorgeous book filled with comforting vegetarian recipes with which to feed your family.
I had no idea what exactly golden syrup dumplings were, but I’m game for anything with the word “dumplings” in the name, and Hetty said they were easy, and I’m also game for all sweets “easy.” In fact, they are delicious, pillowy dumplings made from self-rising flour and butter, that you strategically place in a sauce pan of warm golden syrup, brown sugar, and butter. The dumplings cook in the hot sweet syrup and are served a la mode (at least in my house) with spoonfuls of extra syrup atop them.
Hetty adds a bit of mushed banana to the dumpling batter, but I skipped that and added sliced coins when serving instead. I also substituted buttermilk for the milk called for in the original, because I had extra in the fridge and thought it would impart a nice tang to the dumplings, in light of the sweet syrup they’d be bathed in. I also added a bit of vanilla extract because I just can’t help myself. This is quintessential comfort food and is already an awfully big hit in my family (and likely will be in yours, too).
Banana Golden Syrup Dumplings
Ingredients
- For the dumplings:
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 3 Tbsp salted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- For the syrup:
- 3 Tbsp salted butter
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp Lyle's Golden Syrup you can sub honey or maple syrup
- 2 cups of water
Instructions
- Place the flour in a medium-sized bowl, add the butter and using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until coarse crumbs form.
- In a separate small bowl combine the egg, buttermilk and vanilla, and whisk to combine. Pour the egg mixture into the butter and flour and combine with a spatula to form a dough.
- To make the golden syrup, melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet. Once melted, add the sugar, syrup and water, and bring to a boil.
- Scoop the dumpling batter with a tablespoon sized ice cream scoop, if you have one, and place in the boiling syrup. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, periodically spooning the sauce over the dumplings that are not covered in it, until the dumplings are puffy and a toothpick inserted into one of the dumplings comes out clean.
- Serve, still warm, straight from the pan, with vanilla ice cream.