The first recipe is for Pennsylvania Dutch style dumplings, more like a noodle dough. My mother taught me to make big fluffy dumplings as in the second recipe.

Chicken and Dumplings
1 whole chicken (2 1/2 to 3 pounds)
3 ribs celery, washed and cut into 1 inch pieces
3 carrots, washed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 whole onion, peeled and studded with 5 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
10 cups water

Dumplings:
2 cups flour, sifted
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
Cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place chicken, vegetables and bay leaf in a large stockpot. Season with the 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Add the 10 cups water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove chicken and vegetables from stock, discarding the onion and bay leaf. Pull meat from chicken carcass and shred or cut into bite-size pieces. Skim fat that has risen to top of stock and discard. (Can also chill overnight.)

When ready to assemble, combine flour with shortening, until pea-size crumbs form. Stir egg with fork and add enough cold water to make 1/2 cup liquid. Stir egg mixture, the 1/2 teaspoon salt and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper into the dough. Roll out dough to thickness of a pie crust, about 1/8 inch. Cut into 1/2 inch wide strips. Bring stock to a boil, add dough strips. Cover and turn heat to simmer and let cook for 15 minutes, stirring twice during cooking, to separate dumplings. Add chicken and vegetables during last 5 minutes of cooking to heat through. Serve at once.

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These work for any soup or stew. It's important to not open the lid while the dumplings are cooking. If you have a pan with a glass lid, that would be ideal. Because you can watch them.

My Mother's Cornmeal Dumplings

5 or 6 cups corned beef stock, consommé, or any clear soup or stock
1 cup corn meal
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon melted butter

Have the broth simmering. Sift the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs and milk together. Combine the egg mixture and the dry ingredients. Stir in the melted butter. Drop the batter from a spoon into the hot stock. Cover the pan closely. Simmer the dumplings for about 15 minutes, without lifting the lid. Remove them at once from the pan.

Fluffy Dumplings

2 cups sifted flour
1 scant teaspoon salt
5 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup milk

Combine the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the milk. Drop from a spoon onto hot broth. Cover closely and cook gently for 12 minutes without lifting cover.