Stovetop Strawberry Dumplings

Combine the strawberries and sugar in a 4-quart saucepan, stirring to coat. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until juicy. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Work the cold pieces of butter into the flour mixture with your fingers, breaking up the pieces of butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-sized pieces of butter. Bring the strawberries to a boil over medium heat. Stir the milk into the flour-butter mixture just until combined to form a thick, sticky batter. Add the batter to the boiling berries. Stir once or twice and then reduce the heat to low and securely cover the pan. (See Kelly's Notes.) Let cook for 15 to 18 minutes until the puffed up dumplings appear dry on top. Let dumplings sit for 5 minutes before serving. Top dumplings with homemade whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream (optional).