4½ cups fresh blackberries (or a combination of blackberries and halved strawberries)
¾ cup sugar
½ cup fresh orange juice
Dumplings
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
Topping (optional)
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmet
pinch of ground black pepper
Instructions
Combine the blackberries, sugar and orange juice in a cast-iron or otherwise oven-safe skillet. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or aluminum foil and set aside.
Stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg. Stir in the orange peel, if using, until well-distributed. Add the melted butter and the buttermilk and stir only until the liquid is absorbed; mixing the soft, sticky dough just barely enough will make the lightest dumplings.
If making the topping, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper in a small cup or bowl. Set aside.
Bring the blackberry mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat. Drop large spoonfuls of the dumpling batter on top of the simmering fruit until all of the batter is used. Sprinkle the sugar topping over the dumplings. Cover tightly and simmer gently for 20 minutes or until the dumplings are puffed and feel dry to the touch but are not browned. Don't remove the lid until the end of the cooking time or the steaming dumplings will deflate and toughen.
To cool, uncover the slump and set it on a rack for about 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm, spooned into individual serving bowls and topped with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.
Recipe by In Good Taste at http://ingoodtaste.kitchen/blackberry-slump/