Plum Dumplings Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk and egg just until blended. Divide into six portions. , On a lightly floured surface, pat each portion of dough into a 5-in. circle. Place a plum half on each circle. Gently bring up corners of dough to center; pinch edges to seal. , In a Dutch oven, bring water and butter to a boil. Carefully add dumplings. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean. Serve warm with pan juices, melted butter and cinnamon-sugar.

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.

Steps:

• Wash fruit in cold water and dry thoroughly; set aside until ready to use.
• Combine flour, melted butter, egg yolks, salt and enough milk to make a soft dough that pulls.
• Cover and let stand about half an hour.
• Roll out thinly on a floured board, cut into 24 small squares and wrap a plum in each.
• Cook in boiling salted water for about 10 minutes; cooked dumplings will float to the top.
• Drain and serve sprinkled with sugar, cinnamon and melted butter.

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.

Steps:

• Scrub potatoes, and place them into a large pot with enough water to cover. bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain, and cool. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel, and press through a ricer into a large bowl. Set aside to cool. This part of the process can be done as much as one day in advance.
• In a large bowl, mix together the prepared potatoes, salt, egg, and 1 tablespoon of butter until well blended. Gradually stir in the farina, and then the flour. If dough is still wet, more flour can be mixed in. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Split open each plum where it cracks, and remove the pit. Replace each pit with a sugar cube, and close.
• On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into twelve 3 inch squares. Place one plum into each square, and bring the corners around to the top. Pinch together all of the seams to seal.
• Bring a large pot of water to a slow boil. Place about 4 dumplings into the water at a time. Once they float to the surface, continue to cook them for about 5 more minutes. Transfer cooked dumplings to a covered bowl, and keep warm.
• Melt the remaining 1/2 cup of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in bread crumbs, and 1/4 cup of sugar. Continue to cook and stir until browned. Remove the bread crumbs to a plate, and roll warm dumplings in the mixture until entirely coated. To serve, place a dumpling or two on a plate, sprinkle with a little sugar and a little extra melted butter, if desired.

Steps:

• Scrub potatoes well but do not peel.
• In a saucepan combine potatoes and water to cover and bring to a boil.
• Cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork (about 40 minutes); drain.
• When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and, while still warm, press through a potato ricer into a large mixing bowl.
• Let cool.
• Add salt, eggs, and the 1 tablespoon butter to potatoes and mix well.
• Gradually mix in the 1 cup flour and farina until dough is easy to work, adding more flour if it is too wet. Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead well until smooth and fairly soft (5 to 10 minutes). With your hands form dough into a large sausage-shaped roll.
• Cut roll into 12 to 16 equal pieces.
• Cut open plums and remove pits.
• Replace each pit with a sugar cube and re-form plum.
• With a floured rolling pin, roll out each dough piece into a 3-inch square 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick.
• Place 1 plum in center of each square. Bring up corners of square to enclose plum completely; no part of plum must be exposed.
• Pinch dough edges together firmly so that dumpling doesn't break open during cooking.
• Meanwhile, fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Drop in dumplings, being careful not to crowd pan, and boil gently, stirring occasionally.
• Do not boil too hard or dumplings may split open.
• Once dumplings rise to surface, cook until tender (5 to 10 minutes total cooking time, depending on intensity of boil). With a slotted utensil carefully remove dumplings one at a time to a heated bowl; cover tightly to keep warm.
• Repeat with remaining dumplings.While dumplings are cooking melt the 1/2 cup butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until browned.
• Turn out onto a flat plate. Roll hot dumplings in browned bread crumbs to coat completely and serve immediately.
• Variations: Potato Noodles - Omit plums and sugar cubes.
• Prepare dough as directed, but roll with your palms to form 2 or more sausage-shaped rolls about 1/2 inch in diameter.
• Cut rolls into 2-inch lengths.
• Fill a large saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Drop in noodles and cook until tender (5 to 10 minutes). Drain and roll in breads crumbs as directed for dumplings.
• Dessert Potato Noodles Prepare Potato Noodles and roll in bread crumbs as directed.
• Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and sugar to taste. Yield: 14 servings.