Romanian plum dumplings

Name: Romanian plum dumplings
Ingredients: 1 kg potatoes; 2500 ml water for boiling the potatoes; 150 g flour; 1 g salt; 500 g plums; 200 g sugar; 250 g breadcrumbs; 30 g ground cinnamon; 3000 ml water for boiling the dumplings

Dessert - Romanian plum dumplings by Olivia P. - Recipia

Romanian plum dumplings need a snug dough casing around the fruit so they don’t come apart while boiling. The potatoes and flour make a soft coating, and the plums end up covered in golden breadcrumbs, sugar and cinnamon. I choose floury potatoes with dull skins and flesh that crumbles easily after boiling. Preparation: 35 minutes. Cooking: 45 minutes. Total time: 80 minutes. Serves: 6. Approximately 560 kcal and 12 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

1 kg potatoes
2500 ml water for boiling the potatoes
150 g flour
1 g salt
500 g plums
200 g sugar
250 g breadcrumbs
30 g ground cinnamon
3000 ml water for boiling the dumplings

Preparation

1. Wash the potatoes and boil them whole, with the skins on, in 2500 ml water for 30 minutes, until a fork slides into them easily. 2. Peel the potatoes while they’re still warm and grate them on the fine side of a grater. Add the flour and salt, then knead until you have a soft dough. 3. Wash the plums and remove the stones. If they’re tart, sprinkle up to 50 g sugar over them. 4. Roll out the dough on a board to about 1 cm thick and cut out circles with a glass. Put a plum on each circle, then wrap it in the dough and seal it well. 5. Bring 3000 ml water to a boil. Add the dumplings and boil them for 10 minutes, until they rise to the surface. 6. Toast the breadcrumbs in a dry saucepan for 5 minutes, stirring until golden. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cinnamon and the remaining 150 g sugar. 7. Remove the dumplings and roll them in the breadcrumb mixture while they’re still warm.

Notes

Floury potatoes with dry flesh make a dough that’s easier to work with; waxy ones tend to make it sticky and may need extra flour. Small, firm plums are easier to wrap than very ripe ones, which get squashed when you remove the stone. In texture, the dough is reminiscent of soup dumplings, only the potatoes make it more substantial. For lunch, I get the potatoes started ahead of time and leave the shaping until close to boiling, since freshly kneaded dough is easier to roll out. If you make a double batch, keep the dough at the same thickness and boil the dumplings in batches without overcrowding the pot. You can serve them for dessert after a simple meal, with unsweetened tea; you can also mix the breadcrumbs with just 15 g cinnamon for a less aromatic coating. The flour and breadcrumbs contain gluten, and the cooked dumplings keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.