Southern Chicken Dumplings

Southern Chicken Dumplings~PRINT
Pauline Wallace~ she knows a thing or two about dumplings! 
Chicken Broth:
1 whole chicken, pick one that's on the smaller side and it will be more tender

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 chopped onion
2 stalks celery, sliced
water
In a large soup pot cover the hen in water seasoned with salt and pepper.Add the celery and onion and stew the chicken covered until the meat is tender, about an hour. Remove chicken and set aside to cool. Strain broth through a colander to remove vegetables, discard veges. Pour broth back into pot and reheat to boiling while you make the dumplings.

Dumplings:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons Crisco
1/2 cup milk
Sift flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in shortening, then add milk and mix. Allow dough to set about 15 minutes to let the baking powder do it's thing, namely a rise that will make the dumplings tender as a Mother's/Grandmother's Love!  Roll dough onto heavily floured surface to 1/8" thick. Cut into inch wide strips and cut into 2" lengths. Drop [floured] strips into boiling chicken broth and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Serves 6.
*Two secrets here, make sure you roll them thin, they will cook faster and you have less chance of them being "doughy." The second one is to dredge the strips again as you place them in the broth, the flour helps to thicken the broth. See why Grandma had the best dumplings???