I can happily go days and days without eating anything sweet, but there are a few desserts that are my undoing. This is one of them. It was my husband, Ross, who first introduced me to these incredible pillowy sweet dumplings. He learned the recipe from his mum, who is really the queen of simple, minimal-effort, maximum-comfort desserts. These light and fluffy dumplings are perfect for soaking up the delicious sauce. My personal touch is the addition of banana, which amps up the caramel flavor.

Serves 4–5

Instructions:

1. Place the flour in a bowl and add the butter. Using your fingertips, knead the butter into the flour until the mixture has a coarse, sand-like consistency.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the egg together with the milk until combined, then stir in the mashed banana. Pour the egg mixture into the butter and flour mixture, and stir together to make a wet dough.
3. To make the syrup, in a large wide saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat. Add the brown sugar, golden syrup, and 2 cups of water, and stir until combined.
4. Bring the syrup to the boil, then use a tablespoon to drop a golf-ball–sized dumpling straight into the pan. Repeat until you have used all the dough—you should have around 8–10 large dumplings. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 15 minutes, until the dumplings are puffed up and a skewer inserted into the center of one of them comes out clean.
5. To serve, place 1–2 dumplings in a small bowl with some vanilla ice cream. Top with some of the syrup from the pan and serve immediately.

Tips: The dumpling dough is best made just before serving.

Golden syrup has a thick, molasses-like consistency (without the molasses flavor). While it is common in Australia and the United Kingdom, it can be harder to come by in the United States. Look for a brand called Lyle’s Golden Syrup which can be found online and at specialty grocery stores. A good substitute is maple syrup or even honey.