Food and Recipes Desserts Muscadine Dumplings Are A Beloved Southern Treat Be the first to rate & review! Muscadine dumplings are tender and subtly lemony with the texture of a cakey scone. By Sheri Castle Sheri Castle Sheri Castle is an award-winning professional food writer, recipe developer, and cooking teacher with over 25 years of experience. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on August 17, 2024 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Active Time: 1 hr 15 mins Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Servings: 6 The aroma of ripe muscadines is like a preview of coming attractions. These Southern grapes perfume the air with an unmistakable sweet, musky scent that wafts along balmy summer breezes. One taste confirms their syrupy, deep flavor that’s unlike any other variety—and superior to most. We don’t so much eat muscadines as experience them. The fruit comes in an array of colors. While experts have detailed criteria for categorizing each type, most people call the dark purple kinds muscadines and the light bronze ones scuppernongs (and some use muscadine as a catchall term). Muscadines and scuppernongs are among a handful of fruits native to the Southeastern United States, where they thrive in our heat and humidity. In addition to foraging for them, Native Americans began cultivating these grapes more than 400 years ago. The earliest European explorers marveled at the profusion of vines and fruit growing all over the North Carolina coastal region we now call the Outer Banks. Make the most of these storied grapes by turning them into a jammy sauce that goes wonderfully with lemony dumplings and melty ice cream. Ingredients Muscadine Sauce: 2 lb. fresh purple muscadine grapes (about 6 cups) 1 1/2 cups bottled red muscadine juice 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon) 1 tsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice 2 (4-inch) rosemary sprigs, plus leaves for garnish 1/2 cup muscadine wine Dumplings: 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar 1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon), plus more for garnish 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 3 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1/3 cup half-and-half Additional Ingredient: Vanilla ice cream Directions Prepare the Muscadine Sauce: Cut each grape in half; remove seeds using tip of a skewer or paring knife. Set aside 4 cups grape halves for sauce; cut remaining halves in half, and reserve for serving. Whisk together muscadine juice, sugar, lemon juice, ginger, and pie spice in a 6-quart Dutch oven or large, wide saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a simmer over medium, whisking often. Stir in rosemary sprigs. Reduce heat to low, and keep warm over low. Prepare the Dumplings: Whisk together flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or 2 forks until mixture is crumbly. Slowly stir in half-and- half until a sticky dough that holds its shape forms. Transfer to a well-floured surface, and pat into a 6 1/2- x 3 1/2-inch rectangle; cut into about 1 3/4- x 1-inch rectangles. Brush off excess flour from bottoms of rectangles, if needed. Stir together muscadine wine and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth; whisk into juice mixture in Dutch oven. Bring to a low boil over medium-high, whisking often. Stir in 4 cups reserved grape halves. Return mixture in Dutch oven to a low boil; drop dough rectangles evenly over top of bubbling mixture. Cover and reduce heat to medium (so mixture stays at an active simmer). Cover and simmer, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. Do not lift lid while Dumplings are cooking.) Remove from heat; let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Discard rosemary sprigs; divide Muscadine Sauce and Dumplings evenly among 6 rimmed plates. Top servings with vanilla ice cream and reserved fresh grapes. Garnish with rosemary leaves and additional lemon zest. Rate It Print