FINGER DUMPLINGS

1/2 cup butter
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour or unbleached white flour, sifted
1 1/4 cups water
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped chives
9 cups beef bouillon

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, pressing out any lumps with a spoon. When the mixture is smooth, add the water, stirring to blend well.

Remove from the stove and mix in the eggs and chopped chives, making sure that the mixture is uniform in consistency. Allow the mixture to cool.

Bring the Beef bouillon to a boil. Ladle a rounded spoonful of dumpling batter into the bouillon. If it separates in pieces, blend in as much additional flour as is needed to keep the dumplings whole. Add the rest of the batter by spoonfuls to the soup and cook for 20 minutes, or until firm.

Serve immediately with the soup.

Makes 16 dumplings
Source: New York Times Bread and Soup Cookbook by Yvonne Young Tarr