Chicken and Dumplings

This old-fashioned chicken and dumpling recipe uses whole chicken cut into chunks, while the homemade dough cake is made from self-raising flour. This is the recipe you need if you are looking for a comfortable home-cooked meal.
Cover the chicken with water and bring to a boil in a large roasting pan. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the following 3 ingredients; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the chicken, leaving the broth in the roasting pan; cool the chicken. Remove the fat from the broth; bring to a boil.Peel the chicken from the skin, bones and coarsely chop. Add the chicken, stock, and remaining salt and pepper to the broth. Bring to a boil again.Combine flour and poultry seasoning in a bowl. Combine the shortening and bacon filling in a baking blender until the mixture is crumbly. Add the milk, stirring occasionally, until the dry ingredients are moistened.Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 1/8-inch thickness; cut into 1-inch thick pieces.Bring the stock mixture to a boil. Dip the dumplings, several at a time, into the boiling broth, stirring gently. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer, stirring frequently, for 25 minutes.