Moldovan colțunași (cheese dumplings)

Name: Moldovan colțunași (cheese dumplings)
Ingredients: 500 g flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 egg; 250 ml lukewarm water; 250 g cottage cheese; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons sugar; 8 g vanilla sugar; 1 egg; 3000 ml water; 1 tablespoon salt; 5 g flour; 2 tablespoons sugar

Dessert - Moldovan colțunași (cheese dumplings) by Luiza D. - Recipia

Moldovan colțunași, cheese dumplings, are boiled until they float to the surface as the flour gradually absorbs the water. Also known as chiroște, they have soft dough and a filling that holds together. I roll the dough a little thicker than I would for noodles, so I can lift the squares without tearing them. Preparation: 40 minutes. Cooking: 15 minutes. Total time: 55 minutes. Servings: 6. Approximately 410 kcal and 16 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the dough

500 g flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
250 ml lukewarm water

For the filling

250 g cottage cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
8 g vanilla sugar
1 egg

For boiling

3000 ml water
1 tablespoon salt

For sprinkling

5 g flour
2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation

1. Put 500 g of flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Add the egg and gradually pour in the 250 ml of lukewarm water, kneading until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. 2. Mix the cottage cheese with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, the sugar, vanilla sugar and egg until you have a paste. 3. Roll the dough into a sheet that is not too thin and cut it into squares about 7 cm across. Put a tablespoon of filling on each one, fold them over and press the edges with a fork. 4. If the edges start to come apart before boiling, sprinkle on a little flour and press them together again with a fork. 5. Put the 3000 ml of water and 1 tablespoon of salt in a large pot. When the water boils, add the dumplings and cook for about 15 minutes, moving the pot from time to time. They are ready when they float to the surface. 6. Transfer them to a serving dish and sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sugar over the top.

Notes

The cottage cheese can be replaced with 250 g of ricotta; the filling still contains dairy, and the dough contains gluten and eggs. Store the boiled dumplings in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can serve them with plain sugar and black tea, which lets the flavor of the cheese come through clearly. Choose well-drained cottage cheese, with no whey collected in the packaging, because a filling that is too wet is more likely to seep through the seams. If the cheese is lumpy, mash it with a fork before adding the egg. Some cheeses are tangier, so you can taste the filling before shaping the first dumpling. Sometimes the filling pushes an edge open if the spoonful is too large. Let them cool before putting them in the refrigerator, so steam does not collect under the lid.