Johnny asks… I have a question about making homemade frozen dumplings. Every Time I boil them in water and take them out they taste a bit wet, heh. I want to know how to make them properly, so they can taste more meaty and less wet. Kinda like the restaurant version. Also what brand are good and meaty ? God Bless. Take care. Bye 🙂

My Response…

At first I thought you made your own dumplings and froze them but it looks like you are buying them frozen and when you boil them, they are kind of soggy. I can tell you that making your own gnocchi with my recipe will give you a fantastic, meaty dumpling but if you’re buying them frozen, be careful not to overcook them. I have never used store-bought but I do freeze my own so when you put them in boiling water, don’t let the water stop boiling or they will get mushy. I usually turn up the heat at the same time to keep the water boiling, and stir them right away so they don’t stick. Then I turn the heat down to a nice gentle boil until they rise to the top. You could also try removing them from the water as soon as they rise to the top. – Jenny Jones

Patrizia asks… Hi Jenny, I have a question on cupcakes. I use to make them perfect but after my husband bought me the kitchen robot they seem to raise and at the end they sink a bit in the center,they also stick to the paper liners. Could it be i beat them too much with the kitchen robot and the baking powder an baking soda is worked too much. I use the oven on top and bottom heating. Thanks

My Response…

Let’s talk first about the cupcakes sinking. I suspect the oven is too hot, especially if you are using heat from the top. With too much heat, the cupcakes will cook from the outside and will appear done but the inside is not done so they sink. The same applies to the tops. Heat from above will make the tops cook too fast and the cupcakes will appear done but the inside is not done so there’s no support for the top and it sinks. I would suggest you avoid any heat from the top and that could solve the sinking problem. If not, then reduce the oven heat and test the largest cupcake with a toothpick inserted deep into the center. If it comes out dry, they are done all the way through and should not sink.

As for the cupcakes sticking to the paper liners, there are several possible solutions. The easiest is to use foil-lined paper liners which should release much easier. If you can’t find them, you might try spraying the inside of the paper liners with a cooking spray or grease them by hand. If there’s not enough fat in the recipe, you may have to grease the liners or not use liners and grease the pan. I’ve also read that you should not let the batter sit in the liners or the liners will absorb too much moisture, so put in the batter and put them in the oven right away. Finally, I’ve noticed that letting my cupcakes cool completely makes it easier to remove them from the paper. I hope this helps. – Jenny Jones