Irish Stew and Dumplings

3/4 pound beef, cut into cubes
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon fat (shortening)
1/4 cup carrot
1/4 cup turnip
1/4 cup onion
3/4 cup diced potato
2 1/2 cups boiling water
Salt and pepper to taste

Dredge beef cubes in a mixture of the flour and salt. Brown meat in fat; remove with slotted spoon and set aside.

Place remaining ingredients in crockpot. Add browned beef. Do not stir. Cover, cook on LOW about 5 hours.

When meat is tender, remove meat and vegetables from crockpot. Mix 3 tablespoons flour to 3 tablespoons water (plus dashes of salt and pepper) in a cup until the mixture resembles paste. Stir into liquid in crockpot. Add 1 teaspoon instant coffee (to make the gravy turn brown). When liquid is heated, return meat and vegetables to heat. Add dumplings and cook for one more hour.

Dumplings
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 tablespoon shortening
1/4 cup milk

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in shortening. Gradually add milk; mix until smooth. Drop by tablespoons on hot stew. Cover. Cook for last hour .