Hungarian Plum Dumplings Recipes

PLUM DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• To pit the plums, slice them almost in half, open, and remove pit. Place about 1/3 teaspoon of sugar in the hollow of each plum; close the plum, and place in a bowl. Set aside.
• Place potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender. Drain. When cool enough to handle, mash potatoes with a fork or potato masher. You will need 1 cup of mashed potatoes. Set aside, and keep warm.
• To make the dough, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together into a pile on a breadboard. Make a well in the center; add 1 cup mashed potatoes, egg yolks, and shortening into the well, and work in until the dough is pliable and smooth.
• When dough is thoroughly kneaded, roll it out onto a floured board to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Cut into roughly 4-inch rounds with a biscuit cutter. Holding one piece of dough in your hand, place a whole pitted plum in the center. Place another piece of dough on top, and press to seal the edges of the dough together. Make sure there are no leaks, or the plum will come out during cooking.
• To cook, bring a deep pot of salted water to boil. Place dumplings in water, and boil gently for about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, to make the sauce, melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. (If you like, stir in some of the juice that collects in the bowl of pitted plums.) Stir in a small amount of bread crumbs to slightly thicken the sauce.
• When dumplings are done, remove them from boiling water, and place them in the frying pan, and turn to coat the dumplings. Serve hot with extra sauce poured over them.

HUNGARIAN PLUM DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Cook potatoes for dough:
• Cover potatoes with salted cold water (1 tablespoon salt for 2 quarts water) in a large saucepan and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain potatoes and, when cool enough to handle, peel. Force warm potatoes through ricer into a shallow baking pan and spread out to cool completely.
• Make crumb mixture while potatoes cook:
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook bread crumbs and walnuts, stirring frequently, until crumbs are golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Transfer to a bowl, then stir in 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
• Make dough:
• Transfer cooled potatoes to a bowl and stir in flour, salt, softened butter, and yolks until a dough forms. Knead on a well-floured surface just until smooth, about 1 minute (dough will be soft). Cut dough in half and let stand, uncovered, 15 minutes. Roll out half of dough on floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 10-inch round (1/8 inch thick) and cut out 6 rounds with cutter, reserving scraps.
• Make filling and assemble dumplings:
• Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, then stir together with plums and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Place 1 dough round in center of your hand. Put 1 tablespoon filling in center of round, then fold round in half, forming a semicircle, and pinch edges to seal. Gently form into a ball and gently roll between your palms until smooth. Transfer dumpling to a wax-paper-lined tray. Repeat with remaining 5 dough rounds, then make more dumplings with remaining dough, rerolling scraps.
• Cook and coat dumplings:
• Cook dumplings in a pasta pot of boiling lightly salted water (1 tablespoon salt for 5 quarts water) and simmer, uncovered, until dough is firm to the touch, about 12 minutes. While dumplings cook, melt remaining 4 1/2 tablespoons butter in cleaned 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Gently transfer cooked dumplings with a slotted spoon to skillet, spooning butter over them to coat. Transfer dumplings to a platter and sprinkle with half of crumb mixture. Serve immediately, with remaining crumb mixture on the side.

HUNGARIAN PLUM DUMPLINGS - WITH VEGAN/SUGAR FREE VERSION

Steps:

• Start by boiling the unpeeled potatoes in a pot of water (for small potatoes this will take about 10-15 minutes). After they are boiled remove them from the water and let them cool for a couple of minutes then peel and mash them.
• Put the mashed potatoes in a large bowl and add the beaten eggs (or egg substitutes), oil and flour.
• Mix all ingredients together until you get a sticky and smooth dough.
• Mix the cinnamon, vanilla and rum extracts and the sucanat in a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of this mixture into the middle of each plum.
• Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the bread crumbs and let them fry for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and put them on a large plate.
• Divide the dough in two. Roll the dough and cut it into dumpling-size portions (ones that appear to be big enough to wrap your plum). Take each portion and form a small ball. Flatten the ball and place the plum into the center, then remake the ball with the plum inside.
• Tip: You must have flour on your hands all the time so the dough won't stick to your fingers.
• Boil some water in a large pot. Add a pinch of sea salt.
• When the water has reached boiling point, place some dumplings inside.
• Be careful, if the dumplings stick to the bottom of the pot all you need to do is to shake it a little bit. Let them boil for 5 minutes. When ready they will rise from the bottom of the pot.
• Remove them from the water using a slotted spoon and roll them in the bread crumbs. Serve with honey (or other healthy syrup) on top.