Pot Cheese Fruit Dumplings |
| Pot Cheese Dumplings (Plum, Apricot, or Cherry)
For Dumpling 1/2 lb pot cheese or farmers cheese
For filling
For topping
Zwetschkenknoedel, Marillen, oder Kirschen Knodel These utterly delicious dumplings are a bit tricky to get right the first time, but are worth the effort. The big problem is getting the correct moisture level (same problem as with other dumplings and tortillas). Note that the recipe will work well with either farmers or pot cheese; it does not work with cottage cheese. As sold in the US, both farmers and pot cheese are packaged with extra moisture. Therefore it is necessary to dry the cheese by wrapping it in several layers of paper towels and letting it drain, pressing it gently, for 5-10 minutes. Many recipes call for flour, but these dumplings are properly made with semolina, not flour. Farina (not the quick cooking or instant kind) is an adequate substitute, and cake flour is a poor third choice. In a mixer, beat cheese until it is smooth. Add egg and about 2/3 of the semolina. Continue adding semolina (or a very small amount of water, if necessary) until it forms a dough that holds together when lightly patted in the palm of the hand. Add melted butter and beat in well. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. It is essential that the semolina absorb moisture from the cheese and egg. This will serve to stiffen the dough. Prepare fresh fruit - it must be fresh and completely ripe and tender, frozen will not work - by opening a slit in the plums or apricots, replacing the pit with a sugar cube, and closing the fruit tightly; pit the cherries. In the palm of your hand (or on a 'floured' board) pat the dough into a thin circle about the size of the palm of the hand. Place a prepared plum or apricot (or three cherries and a sugar cube) in the middle of the circle and carefully bring the edges of the circle together to completely enclose the fruit. The dough should be relatively uniform in thickness around the fruit and must seal it in completely. pinholes, thin spots or cracks will result in a disaster. Roll the finished dumpling in semolina to coat the outside. If you are not experienced in making these dumplings, we strongly recommend that you finish cooking the first dumpling before making more. If the test dumpling falls apart in the cooking process, work in some cake flour; if the results are too dry or stiff, work in more beaten egg thinned with a few drops of water. While making the dumplings, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Gently lower the dumplings into the boiling water. Do not crowd. The dumplings will sink to the bottom and should be very gently agitated to make sure they do not stick. After about 5 minutes the dumplings will begin expand and rise to the surface. Continue cooking about 5-10 minutes more. Adjust the cooking time based on taking a test dumpling out and cutting into it. (It is the cook's prerogative to get first chance at a dumpling.) Serve dumplings with bread crumbs browned in butter, additional melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon all of which can be served separately and sprinkled on at the table. Left over dumplings can be refrigerated or frozen and reheated and browned
in melted butter in a frying pan or in the oven or even in a microwave.
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