Baked Onion Dumplings

Skin and partly boil 3 large onions in a little water

From 1922:

Skin and partly boil 3 large onions in a little water. Drain them, reserving the water. Make a sweet paste similar to that for boiled apple dumplings. Take the three partly boiled onions, make a hole in the centre of each and force in each a little minced meat and chopped sage (seasoned), then make the three onions into dumplings with the paste, and bake in a tin with a little dripping for about three-quarters of an hour until nicely browned, basting occasionally with the fat. While these are cooking, grate or slice finely one large onion and fry in dripping till brown. Mix this with the water reserved from the boiled onions; add pepper and salt, and thicken over the fire with cornflour. This makes a delicious gravy, which should be served with the dumplings and potatoes if desired.