Slumps and Grunts

Slumps and Grunts

Both delicious and patriotic, slumps and grunts are almost as old as our nation itself. These English-style (but all-American) desserts date back to the Colonial era, and are a variation on that other summer dessert favorite, the cobbler. You’ll often hear cobblers, fools, crumbles, pan-dowdy, slumps and grunts all lumped together, and it’s easy to see why; all involve an addictive combination of fruit, sugar or syrup, and pastry. The differences lie in the kind of pastry used (baking-soda based biscuit dough, cake, buttery pie crust, dough crumbs, etc.) and its distribution throughout the dessert.

Slumps and grunts, which are synonymous, hail from New England. Almost any fruit can go slump-ing, but berries tend to be the baker’s weapon of choice in this case. The exact recipe varies from region to region, but reliably consists of stewed and sweetened berries topped with sweet dumplings. The berry mixture is cooked and reduced on the stove top while a basic, sweet dough is prepared. When the berry mix is good and ready, the dough is dropped by the spoonful into the berry mix. The whole pan is then covered, leaving the dumplings to steam until cooked through (some recipes also call for the berry/dumpling combination to bake in the oven until the top crisps). When done, the whole sweet mess is portioned into bowls and served warm with plenty of whipped or ice cream. The name is thought to refer to the sounds the diner makes when eating his portion, though some say it is a reference to the texture of the berries and/or sounds the berries/dough make as they cook.

Sample Blueberry Slump Recipe from The New England Yankee Cook Book.