Topfenknodel Recipes

TOPFENKNODEL

Steps:

• Pour light cream over diced white bread, allow to soak in, stir until smooth. Beat together butter and egg yolks until foamy, add cottage cheese and salt, fold in white bread soaked in cream.
• Whip egg whites, add to mixture, then carefully fold in flour and semolina. Let mixture sit in refrigerator for about one hour. Form small round dumplings, drop these into simmering, lightly salted water, turn off heat, let dumplings heat for about 12 minutes.
• In a small skillet, fry the fresh breadcrumbs in the butter until toasty and fragrant.
• Toss finished dumplings in buttered breadcrumbs and serve with choice of fruit sauce(s): strawberry, raspberry, apricot, etc.

TOPFENKNOEDEL

Steps:

• (Takes 1 hr 15 minutes to prepare, plus 2 hrs resting - but easy to prepare ahead) Strain the curd by placing it on a clean kitchen towel and expressing as much superfluous liquid as possible. Put the brioche in a food processor and produce fine crumbs. Split open the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Mix the butter and the sugar in a large bowl, add the curd, egg, egg yolk, vanilla seeds and the crumbs. (Add the zest here, if using). Leave to rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Prepare the crumbs for rolling the dumplings in: melt the butter in a pan, add the sugar and crumbs and fry over a medium heat until golden brown. If lumps form, be sure to separate them by simply rubbing them between your hands after cooling. For the compote clean the rhubarb and cut into 3-4 cm sticks. Caramelise 60 g of the sugar in a pan, add the orange juice to deglaze, then add the rhubarb and cinnamon. Leave to cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes until soft. Lift the rhubarb with a slotted spoon and reserve in a bowl. Wash and dry the strawberries, cut in quarters and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bring the sauce to a boil and add the thickening granules or dissolve the corn flour in some water and add to the mixture. Boil enough for the sauce to thicken slightly. Remove the cinnamon stick. Pour over the rhubarb and add the strawberries. When you're ready to serve, heat some salt water in a big pot, the dumplings will need space to roam. Wet your hands and form the dough into 12 even dumplings (balls). Add to the simmering water, turn down the heat and leave to cook for around 10 minutes until they return to the surface. Lift with a slotted spoon, roll in the crumbs mixture, dust with icing sugar and serve with the compote.

CENTRAL EUROPEAN CHEESE DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• 1. In a food processor or blender, or with an electric mixer, combine the cheeses, onion, and salt. Add the eggs and beat until smooth. Beat in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir in enough of the semolina to produce a firm dough. (Getting the moisture level right so that the batter holds together in your hand is the tricky part.) Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. (The semolina absorbs moisture from the batter and firms it.)
• 2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a gentle boil. Using 2 moistened soup spoons or your hands moistened with water, form the batter into 1 1/2-inch balls.
• 3. Drop the dumplings in the water in batches and stir gently to prevent sticking. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until they expand and rise to the surface, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. Serve warm. To keep warm or reheat, place in a 200°F oven.
• Austrian Jam-Filled Cheese Dumplings (Gefulte Topfenknodel)
• In the dumpling batter, omit the onion and add 3 to 5 tablespoons sugar and, if desired, 1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest. Press a deep indentation into the cheese balls, fill with about 1/4 teaspoon lekvar (prune butter) or other jam (about 1/4 cup total), and press the dough around the filling to enclose. Cook as above. Serve with sweetened whipped cream, cinnamon sugar, or jam.
• Romanian Cheese-Cornmeal Dumplings (Papanush):
• Omit the onion and substitute 1/2 to 3/4 cup fine-grind yellow cornmeal for the semolina.