The dumplings with plums, known here in South Tyrol as Zwetschgenknödel, are offered as a dessert in many South Tyrolean restaurants or even in mountain huts. They are also very common in Austria and some parts of Germany and can be made with various doughs, such as potato, ricotta, or even yeast dough.
These are made with ricotta dough, which is the fastest variant among all, as the dough is prepared in a moment and, unlike the other two, does not require cooling or rising times. The dumplings with plums would indeed be a dessert, or, at least in restaurants, they are offered as such, but here in South Tyrol, they are often eaten as a main course at home.
If you like plums, also try these recipes of mine:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: about 18 dumplings
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Austrian
- Seasonality: Summer, Fall
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 9 oz ricotta
- 3.5 tbsps butter (soft)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 18 plums
- to taste sugar
- 2.5 oz butter
- 6 tbsps breadcrumbs
- 2 tsps cinnamon
- 2 tbsps sugar
Steps
To prepare the dumplings with plums, wash and dry the plums. Cut them in half without completely dividing them, and remove the pit. Inside each plum, in the pit cavity, place a teaspoon of sugar and lay them all on a plate.
Bring plenty of water to a boil in a large pot and salt it.
Then prepare the ricotta dough. Place the flour in a heap on the work surface and put the ricotta, soft butter in pieces, the egg, salt, and sugar in the center. Knead everything until you get an elastic and homogeneous dough.
Divide the dough into about 18 pieces. Take the first piece of dough, flatten it in the palm of your hand, place a plum in the center, and wrap it with the dough. Form a ball with your hands, that is, the dumpling, making sure the plum is entirely covered with a thin layer of dough. Place the dumpling on a floured cutting board. Proceed the same way until the dough is finished.
Cook the dumplings in plenty of salted water, over medium heat, for about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt 3.5 oz of butter in a pan and add the breadcrumbs. Sauté it for a few minutes, stirring often.
In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon with the sugar. Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan.
When the dumplings are cooked, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon, letting them drain for a few moments. A few at a time, place them directly in the pan with the breadcrumbs. Turn them so that the breadcrumbs adhere to their entire surface and transfer them to a plate. Proceed the same way with all the dumplings. Sprinkle the plum dumplings with the sugar and cinnamon mix, and finish by drizzling them with the melted butter.Serve your dumplings with plums hot or enjoy them warm.
Suggestions
You can also use this dough to prepare apricot dumplings; just replace the plums with apricots and proceed the same way.
If you are not a fan of cinnamon, you can also sprinkle the dumplings with a mix of unsweetened cocoa and sugar.
If you wish, you can also freeze the dumplings while still raw. When needed, they should be cooked in boiling water without thawing them first. In that case, increase the cooking time by a couple of minutes or so.
