Try doing your dumps in the oven; 20' @ 180°C or so. They come out like crusty bread - lightly browned crust and soft, fluffy inside. Add some stew and you have something as scrummyumptious as a scrummyumptious thing can be.
Yup - that's how we do them. I like the added crunchiness. Though cooking in the oven and then sitting them in the stew for a bit would be a good halfway point.
I am starving right now and this thread has not helped one bit!
Stilton in the dumplings sounds pretty good actually! mmmm stilton and port! yum.
Andy