Dumplings

Pate a choux is a delicious pastry dough that makes an aerated roll that is crunchy on the outside and soft inside when baked and is used as a vessel to fill with savory or sweet cream fillings.


I make my dumplings for chicken and dumplings from a pate a choux base. It makes a rich flavored, dense dumpling that everyone in my family enjoys. When I decided to go low carb, I felt confident that this would translate into a satisfying low carb dumpling and was I ever right. It was so successful that my leftovers were eaten by a non-low carb individual in my house who claimed they didn't even know they were different.


Listed below are the original recipe that I have used for years, followed by the low carb recipe that is extremely satisfying and delicious as well. The herbs are the seasonings I use. These can be changed or omitted to suit your own tastes.


Dumplings (for chicken and dumplings)
1 stick  butter (113g)
1 cup  water (226g)
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 tsp rosemary (optional)
1/2 tsp sage (optional)
1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
1 scant cup flour (approx 113g) (1 scant cup is what the original recipe called for?!)  
4 large eggs (226g)


In a medium size saucepan, heat the butter, water, salt and seasonings to a boil. Add the flour and stir vigorously until the dough begins to pull away from the sides. Continue to stir and heat for an additional minute to help evaporate the water.


Remove the pan from the stove and place the dough in your mixer or place bottom of pan in a pan of cool water to remove the heat from the pan before adding the eggs. The dough should be hot but we don't want the eggs to cook before incorporated.


With your mixer going, add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Give each egg time to mix in well. When done, either wrap well and store in refrigerator for up to 24 hours or use immediately by dropping by spoonfuls into chicken broth to make dumplings.


Low Carb Dumplings
3/4 cup Carbalose (90g)
1/4 cup soy powder (30g)
4 tsp vital wheat gluten (10g)
1 tsp guar gum
1 stick  butter (113g)
1 cup  half and half (226g)
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 tsp rosemary (optional)
1/2 tsp sage (optional)
1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
4 large eggs (226)




Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl and set to side.



In a medium size saucepan, heat the butter, water, salt and seasonings to a boil. Add the flour and stir vigorously until the dough begins to pull away from the sides. Continue to stir and heat for an additional minute to help evaporate the water.


Remove the pan from the stove and place the dough in your mixer or place bottom of pan in a pan of cool water to remove the heat from the pan before adding the eggs. The dough should be hot but the eggs should not cook when incorporated.


With your mixer going, add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Give each egg time to mix in well.


When done, let the dough sit for about 30 minutes until it thickens. The dough needs to be able to be scooped by tablespoonfuls without sliding off completely. Drop into simmering broth in one dump to make the dumplings. I use the tilt-the-spoon-while-pushing-batter-off-with-my-finger method. Use whatever works for you :)


The dumplings in both recipes will begin to float when they are done. Sometime the broth needs to be stirred a bit to loosen any that may get stuck on the bottom.


The whole batch has a mere 36.6g net carbs. Depending on how many servings you make of the dumplings will determine your per serving amount. This meal easily makes into 6 servings for me so mine come out to about 6.1 per serving.


Yummmm!