Romanian plum dumplings

Name: Romanian plum dumplings
Ingredients: 12 medium plums (600 g); 20 g sugar; 1000 ml water; 200 g sugar; 160 g cornmeal; 125 g all-purpose flour; 170 g semolina; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 8 g vanilla sugar; 30 ml oil; 150 g breadcrumbs; 50 g sugar

Dessert - Romanian plum dumplings by Atena E. - Recipia

For Romanian plum dumplings, the flour mixture needs to become thick and smooth before shaping. The plums stay in the middle of a soft dough, and each ball is coated on the outside with breadcrumbs toasted with sugar. I choose firm plums so I can cut them in half without crushing them. Preparation: 25 minutes. Cooking: 20 minutes. Resting: 15 minutes. Total time: 60 minutes. Servings: 6. Approximately 630 kcal and 11 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the filling

12 medium plums (600 g)
20 g sugar

For the dough

1000 ml water
200 g sugar
160 g cornmeal
125 g all-purpose flour
170 g semolina
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 g vanilla sugar

For the breadcrumbs

30 ml oil
150 g breadcrumbs
50 g sugar

Preparation

1. Remove the pits from the 12 plums and cut them in half. Sprinkle 20 g of sugar over them. 2. Bring 1000 ml of water to a boil. Add 200 g of sugar, the cornmeal, flour, semolina, salt and vanilla sugar, whisking as you go. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens well. 3. Heat 30 ml of oil in a pan and add the breadcrumbs. Toast them for 5 minutes, stirring, then mix in 50 g of sugar. 4. Leave the mixture to cool for 15 minutes. Take a spoonful in your palm, put half a plum in the middle and shape it into a ball. Roll the 12 dumplings in the breadcrumbs.

Notes

Choose firm plums that won’t get crushed when you remove the pits; if they’re small, you can leave them whole after pitting them. Very soft ones release more juice, so pat them dry before wrapping them. My dear grandma made them this way. The center is reminiscent of a firmer semolina pudding, with toasted breadcrumbs on the outside. Serve warm with black tea. For more servings, double the amounts and cook the dough in two batches, because it firms up as it sits. Gluten-free breadcrumbs can replace regular breadcrumbs in the same amount, but the flour keeps gluten in the dish. The dumplings keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; when reheating, a dry pan helps keep the breadcrumbs from getting too soft.