Chewy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

This is a recipe that was passed down to me by my Great-Grandmother on my Father's Side. I've altered the recipe a bit to be what we know today as "dumplings," but she called them simply "homeade noodles."
My Great-Grandmother's name was Myrtle, but since none of the kids could accurately pronounce her name, she was called Moo-Moo by everyone. Moo-Moo lived with her sister Peggy after both of their husbands passed. Every Christmas and Easter all their kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids would come and occupy their tiny house in Campbell's Creek, WV.
No matter what the meal was, Moo-Moo would always make her homeade noodles, and I loved them so much! I would beg her to give me some leftovers to take home with me. Then on the drive home (which took about an hour) I would sneak and eat them with my fingers until they were all gone!
To honor Moo-Moo's memory, the "Top Secret" homeade noodle recipe will stay in the family, but the slightly altered Chicken and Dumplings recipe I would like to share with you!

You Will Need:
*Cooked & Ready Rotisserie Chicken from the store ~or~
3 or 4 Bone-in Chicken Breasts baked at 350 for 1 hour.
*6 Large Eggs
*1/4 Cup of Oil
*1/4 Cup of Milk
*Pinch of Salt
*Pinch of Sugar
*Pinch of Pepper
*1T Baking Powder
*All-purpose Flour
*2 large cans of chicken broth (48oz?)
*1/2Cup Margarine (I use Country Crock)


In a large bowl, beat the 6 eggs until they're fluffy.
Add a pinch of Salt, Pepper, and Sugar. Mix
Add Oil and Milk, and Beat until foamy.
Start making your dough by sprinkling about a cup or so of flour over the liquid mixture and sprinkle your baking powder over to of that. Mix in with a large fork.
Continue adding flour a bit at a time, until you have a sticky dough.
When you're ready, dip your hands in flour, and work more and more flour in until you have a roll-able dough. YOu want it to be still a BIT sticky, but not too much.

Set your large bowl aside, do NOT wash it yet.
On a large clean surface, generously cover with flour. Lay your dough on the flour and with a rolling pin, roll until your dough is about 1/8"-1/4" thick. The thicker your dough, the fatter and chewier your dumplings will be.
Also, if you don't want to work directly on a kitchen surface, you can always tape down parchment or waxed paper and work on top of that.

Let your dough sit while you debone your chicken. Pull off the chicken into bite-sized strips.
In a large pot, pour in your chicken broth and set on high heat.
Add in 1/2 C of Margarine.
While your broth is heating, cut your dough into 1-2" squares.
In the large bowl that you set aside, take whatever leftover flour is on your surface and throw that in, and layer your pieces of dumplings, and flour. . The extra flour will help to thicken the broth/gravy.

Once all the dough is cut, and your broth is boiling, drop you dumplings in one at a time, picking up excess flour with them. What I mean is, do NOT shake off the excess flour from the dumplings before adding them to the broth. =cD
After 10 or so dumplings are added, make sure to STIR. Your dumplings will probably float to the top at first.

After all the dumplings are added, drop your chicken in there a bit at a time, while stirring constantly.

Turn down the temperature to low/simmer and cook for about 1/2 hour. After 1/2 hour turn off the heat and let the Chicken/Dumplings set for about 15 minutes to thicken up.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable for a yummy comfort dinner!

Store the leftovers WITH the liquid in the pot - the gravy will be even better the next day!!!