Marillenknoedel Recipes

MARILLENKNöDEL (AUSTRIAN APRICOT DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Add the soft butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to a medium bowl and whisk until combined (or just stir with a spatula or a spoon).
• Add the egg and cheese, whisk until combined (lumps are fine).
• Add the flour and stir with a spatula/spoon until combined. Don't stir for too long. The dough should be slightly sticky. If the dough is very very sticky (this will depend on the kind of cheese you've used) you can add 1-2 teaspoons of flour, but remember it will be much easier to handle after it has rested in the fridge. The dough should not be too dry and not sticky.
• Scoop out the dough from the bowl onto a piece of plastic foil. Wrap the dough in plastic foil and form a round disk. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes (or longer, even overnight).
• While the dough is chilling, prepare the apricots and the breadcrumb topping.
• Cut the apricots in half and remove the stone.
• Place a cube of sugar in place of the stone, press the two apricot halves together until the apricot closes. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a medium pan, when it's bubbling add the breadcrumbs.
• Cook over medium-low heat, stirring very frequently, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown in color (be careful, they can burn quickly).
• Take the pan off the heat and stir in the sugar and cinnamon.
• Take the dough out of the fridge, sprinkle it with flour and divide with a knife into 8 parts (if you have very large apricots, divide the dough into 6 parts).
• Place one part on sprinkled with flour surface, sprinkle it with flour on top. Apply some flour to your hand. Place one apricot in the middle of the dough and press the dough around the apricot, seal well. You should not be able to see the seam. Place the dumplings on a plate.
• Cook the dumplings in a large amount of salted water, abour 4 dumplings at a time. Throw them into boiling water and cook for about 12 minutes (from the moment you've put them in water). Reduce the heat to medium-low, the water should only simmer. After a couple of minutes, try to stir the dumpling carefully with a spoon as they tend to stick to the bottom of the pot sometimes.
• Take the cooked dumplings out of the water with a slotted spoon, drain well.
• Place the hot dumplings in the pan with breadcrumb topping. Roll the dumplings in the breadcrumbs until coated on all sides.
• Put the dumpling onto plates, sprinkle with icing sugar.
• Enjoy!

AUSTRIAN APRICOT DUMPLINGS: MARILLENKNODEL

Steps:

• Place the cheese in some cheesecloth or several layers of paper towels and let it drain for 5 to 10 minutes, pressing gently, to remove excess moisture.
• With a mixer, beat the cheese until smooth. Add the egg and continue to beat until incorporated. Sprinkle in the sugar and salt, and then gradually add the flour; continue to mix until a dough begins to form. Add the melted butter and mix just until the dough holds together when patted with your hands, it will look pretty wet. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for several hours or up to overnight, the dough will stiffen as it chills.
• Using a knife, make a slit down the seam of the apricot and carefully pull out the pit, keeping the fruit in tact. Stick a sugar cube inside the apricot where the pit was and squeeze the apricot back together to close it up tightly. The sugar cube melts inside the apricot when you cook it.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface. Roll the dough out into a thin circle and cut out 12 circles with a 4-inch ring cutter. Place an apricot in the center of the dough and carefully bring the edges together to completely enclose the fruit and form a dumpling; make sure there are not any tears or holes in the dough. Working in batches, gently lower the dumplings into the simmering water; they should not be touching or crowded. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes; the dumplings will sink to the bottom of the pot and then rise to the surface. Carefully remove the dumplings from the water with a strainer.
• In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon, cook and stir for a couple of minutes until the bread crumbs are toasty and golden. Lay the bread crumbs out on a sheet pan or plate and roll the apricot dumplings in the browned crumbs to coat evenly.
• In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, brown sugar, and lemon juice together. Serve the apricot dumplings with the sweet-sour cream sauce on the side and a dusting of confectioners' sugar if desired.

APRICOT DUMPLINGS (MARILLENKNöDEL)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 5 Tablespoons melted butter, cottage cheese, pinch of salt, eggs and enough flour to make a soft dough. Shape dough into a roll; cover and let stand 30 minutes.
• Wash and dry apricots. Cut in halves; remove and discard pit. Place 1 sugar cube between each pair of apricot halves; set aside.
• Bring water to a gentle boil; add 1 teaspoon salt.
• On a lightly floured board, press or roll out dough to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch squares. Place a stuffed apricot (2 halves with a sugar cube in the middle) in center of each square of dough. Press dough around fruit, covering completely. Add to gently boiling water; cook 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels; arrange on a platter.
• Melt 1/3 cup butter or margarine in a medium skillet. Add breadcrumbs and 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar; sauté until golden brown. Sprinkle caramelized breadcrumbs over dumplings.