Project Food Blog #7 - Grape Dumpling Purses

This entry for Project Food Blog is to put one of my favorite recipes on film. I chose to demonstrate how simple the Cherokee Grape Dumpling recipe is to make, and even personalized it for the holidays.

The intriguing aspect of Cherokee cooking is the fact most of the known recipes are post-The Trail of Tears.  This recipe traditionally calls for Possum Grapes, which are found growing wild along river beds in Oklahoma - not the original tribal grounds of the Cherokee Nation, as they are historically in the North Carolina region. Many of the recipes tribes came to use and pass along today are from survival techniques in their new territories, and I respect their strength.

The original recipe has two parts: dough and a grape reduction sauce. Although using fresh grapes is best, this adaptation is to make introduction to Cherokee cooking easy and possible for anyone new to this genre. This new recipe calls for organic phyllo dough to create 'purses' for the grape dumplings, perfect for the upcoming holidays.

I hope you enjoy my first video recipe: Grape Dumpling Purses.

Le Grand Fromage, Grape Dumpling Purses - Project Food Blog from Kylene Gay on Vimeo.

This project would not have been possible without the wonderfully multi-talented Kylene of Forever by Kylene (long time readers will remember her from my first post Panini de Chocolat et Brie). Thank you, Kylene!

We had a wonderful time making this video together, and hope you all have enjoyed it as well.

Thank you all so much for your support throughout this process. Voting for this round is Novemeber 15th - 18th, so please visit my profile to vote!

Grape Dumpling Purses
Printable Recipe

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp turbinado
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 1/4 cups grape juice, divided

4 layers organic phyllo dough
2 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp turbinado
4 pieces of 6" kitchen string

Mix dry ingredients together, then add the coconut oil. Next stir in 1/4 cup grape juice. Roll the dough out to 1/4" thick and cut into 1/2" strips.

Bring 2 cups grape juice to a low boil and add the strips, cooking for 10 - 12 min and stirring occasionally.

Lay the phyllo dough on a flat surface and coat with melted butter on one side. Then sprinkle the turbinado over the melted butter. Carefully flip the phyllo dough over so the turbinado caramelizes on the outside of the purses. Add 1/4 cup grape dumplings in four pockets on the plain side of the phyllo dough. Use a pizza cutter to cut the four individual purses. Gently gather the corners of the phyllo dough ensuring none of the grape dumplings can leak out and tie the purses loosely with the string.

Place the purses on a buttered baking sheet, transferring with a spatula to keep them intact. Bake in a 400*F oven for 10 min until the phyllo dough is brown and caramelized on the outside. Serve immediately.

~Yields 4 purses (with extra grape dumplings left over).

~Original by Brie.