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Plum Dumplings, Austrian (Zwetschkenknödel) (D, TNT)
Source: Oma Ruth Lessing
Serves: 6-8 (makes 1 dozen)

Potato Dough:
2 large potatoes
2-1/2 cups flour (approximate)
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:
12 plums
6 teaspoons sugar, divided into 1/2 teaspoons

Bread Crumbs:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Make Potato Dough:
Cook the potatoes in salted water in their skin until they are done. Wash in cold water and peel. While still hot, mash them with the batter, add the egg, and salt. Add about 2 cups or more flour. Start to mix until you get a firm dough that you can handle.

*Note: This dough you have to use immediately.

With well floured hands, work potato dough into a 3" thick roll. Cut into 1/2" slices. Roll each roll on a well floured board, as thin as you can get.

Make Filling:
Take out the pit and fill each with 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

Put each plum in center of dough, and wrap the plum in it, pinching all the edges closed. Roll the dumpling between your floured hands, until it is a smooth ball. Cook in boiling water for about 10 minutes, Drain and roll in buttered bread crumbs.

Make Bread Crumbs:
In a big frying pan, melt the butter. Add all the ingredients and mix until all is well blended. When dumplings are ready and drained, roll then in the frying pan, by shaking the pan back and forth, so it covers all the dumpling. You should serve it immediately. But I sometime prepare it the last minute, and keep it loosely covered with aluminum foil in a lightly warm oven. Do not count your calories.

Poster's Notes:
Here is another very popular Viennese dish. This Plum Dumpling require raw plums, which we get only in summer. I do this dish with dry plums too, in which I soaked them during the night in Cherry liqueur. To take the pit out, I make a cut long wise on the plum, and take the pit out. I keep it whole as much as possible. I put about 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in each plum, and then continue as I will tell you in my very old recipe from Oma Ruth. But still, with fresh raw plums is the best.

Posted by Rina Perry

Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A