Chicken and Dumplings

This is my mother's recipe. It's her mother's recipe. I think it's her mother's mother's recipe. If you don't like rolled dumplings -- this is not the recipe for you!

Ingredients - chicken broth
3 lb whole chicken
water to cover

salt

Ingredients - dumplings
2 c sifted flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 T shortening
milk

Make the broth
In a large pot, add the chicken. Cover with water and add salt. Bring to NEAR boil. Reduce heat. Simmer until chicken is done. Remove chicken. Cool until you are able to handle it. Debone. Discard skin, bones, visible fat. Chill broth. Skim fat. Bring to gentle boil when ready for dumplings.

Make the dumplings
Combine dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Add milk until stiff dough forms. Roll 1/8 inch thin on HEAVILY floured surface. Cut into rectangles -- it is easiest to cut into 1 inch strips one way and repeat perpendicularly. Roll and cut all the dumplings BEFORE you start adding to the gently boiling broth.

Combining it all
Add small batches of dumpling dough to the broth at a rolling boil. DO NOT STIR except to separate the dumplings. Continue to add the dumplings and cook. Keep the broth boiling. Add milk and chicken once all the dumplings are cooked.