Hungarian Plum Dumplings

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Hungarian plum dumplings served warm with vanilla sugar on top is the dessert that marked my childhood, and it will surely delight you too. We couldn’t wait for the day when grandma would make these dumplings, and we would all gather around the bowl full of these goodies.

Plums dumplings, or “Knedle“, are a dessert that originates in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and is spread throughout Eastern Europe under different names.

Whether they are called “Zwetschkenknödel” in Austria, “Szilvásgombóc” in Hungary or “Gomboți cu prune” in Romania, plum dumplings recipes are based on the same dough. It is made from mashed potatoes, eggs and flour as in gnocchi recipes, filled with plums or apricots, boiled and coated in fried breadcrumbs.

I will show you how to make this delicious dessert here in Transylvania, an old recipe but slightly modified by me for a more unique taste.

Ingredients

When I make this Hungarian plum dumplings recipe, I like to make it in larger quantities, at least six servings and it’s always all consumed. For six servings, I will start with 1 kg of white potatoes that become crumbly after boiling and not potatoes for salads.

The amount of flour required will also differ depending on the type of potatoes used. I used 500 g of flour and two semolina spoons, so the dough would have a better texture.

To this, I add two eggs, a teaspoon of sea salt and 100 g of unsalted butter.

The number of plums used depends on the dough and the size of the dumplings; I recommend between 30-35 pieces of plums. If they are too big, filled with only half a plum in the dumplings.

We will roll these dumplings with plums in 300 g of breadcrumbs fried in 100 g of butter.

How to Make the Hungarian Plum Dumplings?

Boil and Mash the Potatoes

I start with the potatoes, which I boil in their skins for about 30-40 minutes, depending on their size.
I know it boils quicker if it’s peeled and cut into cubes, but they absorb more water and incorporate much more flour.

After the potatoes have boiled, let them cool a little, peel them and mash them until you get a potato puree.

Prepare the Plums

After washing the plums, I cut them in half with a knife, but not wholly, but enough to remove the core from them. Thus, inside we can put some sugar with cinnamon that will give an extra flavour to the fruit.

Fry the Bread Crumbs

Until the mashed potatoes cool down because we can’t work with them while it’s hot, fry the breadcrumbs in a pan. Put the butter in the pan to melt, then pour the whole amount of breadcrumbs and fry it, constantly stirring, until it becomes copper-brown in colour.

Make the Dough

Put the mashed potatoes that have already cooled down in a mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients: eggs, salt, sugar, butter at room temperature and semolina. Because I don’t know exactly how much flour the dough will incorporate, I only put a portion and will add it gradually.

I mix all the ingredients by hand and knead the dough until it hardens and detaches from the bowl’s walls. The dough will be a little sticky, but I stop kneading because otherwise, it will become gummy.

Form the Dumplings and Simmer It

Before making the dumplings, I put the water to boil in a larger pot and added two teaspoons of sea salt to it.

I will stretch the dough on a work surface sprinkled with flour until it is 0.5 cm (0.2-0.3 inches) thick. With a knife or pizza cutter, I will cut the dough into square shapes of approximately equal size.

In the middle of each square thus obtained, I will place a plum in which I have put a teaspoon of sugar mixed with cinnamon, which will sweeten and flavour the fruit even more.

I take a square of plum dough in my hand, close the corners over the fruit and roll it in the palm of my hand until I get a spherical shape like a ball. Because the dough is a little sticky, you can work with dry hands and sprinkle some flour on your palms.

After forming the dumplings, you can boil them in water, but not a lot at once and not at a high temperature, to cook slowly. After they have risen to the surface, let them boil for another two minutes, after which they can be removed.

Finishing

Once the dumplings are cooked, take them out, taking care to drain the water as best as possible, and put them directly in the fried breadcrumbs.

With the help of a spatula or even by hand, but not to burn yourself, I roll them in breadcrumbs until they are covered on all sides and take them out in a serving dish.

Sprinkle plenty of powdered sugar with cinnamon on top, and you can serve these tasty Hungarian plum dumplings, made in Timea’s Kitchen style, with the whole family.

How Can They Be Stored?

If you have any dumplings left, you can put them in an airtight box and keep them in the refrigerator for up to three days. Before serving, reheat them in the microwave oven.

For more extended storage, cover the uncooked dumplings well with flour, and put them in a plastic bag in one row, so they don’t stick and freeze them. That way, you can keep them for several months.

Serving

Hungarian plum dumplings must be served warm, dusted with sugar and cinnamon, or even with a vanilla or cinnamon sauce on the side. Believe me, they are so delicious that you can’t get enough of them.

These Hungarian plum dumplings will always be the first place when it needs to make a dessert. Still, besides this, I recommend a few hearty recipes from our blog:

• Noodle Kugel With Raisins
• Best Cottage Cheese Dumplings
• Apple Shortcrust Pastry Recipe
• Traditional Baked Cheesecake Recipe
• Best Sweet Cornbread Recipe in the World
• Best Easy Apple Cake Recipe
• Sweet Fried Semolina Pudding Recipe
• Cream Cheese Filling Crepes Recipe
• Gluten-Free Yoghurt Cake

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