Plum Dumplings - Knedle sa Šljivama

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These delicious soft dough dumplings hide a whole plum inside. They are coated with buttery caramelized sugar and make a perfect late summer treat.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine Central European, Croatian

Keyword summer dessert

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings people

Calories 480 kcal

Begin by boiling the potato with the skin on. You need more than 500 g because you'll be weighing it when it’s cooked and peeled. Cook the potato about 5 minutes longer than usual.
Set the cooked potatoes aside to cool, then peel and mash them. The easiest and most proper way is to run potatoes through a ricer. But if you don't have one (like I don't), you can grate it!
You may end up with small lumps of potato in the dough but this is no big deal. This is why I slightly overcook it so it's easier to break up the lumps as I knead.
Add flour, lard, egg and a pinch of salt. Of course, you can substitute lard with butter but my grandmother always stuck to lard.
Gently combine all the ingredients with your hand. At one point, the dough will come together and won't stick to the bowl.
Don't over-knead the dough because the more you work it, the more moisture the potatoes release. Then you need extra flour, which only makes the dumplings hard and chewy.

Transfer the dough to the kitchen surface. You can use a bit more flour to shape it into a log. Divide it into 10 pieces.
Form each piece into a ball. Flatten it on the palm of your hand and place a pitted plum in the middle.
People who like plum dumplings sweeter usually remove the stone and put a sugar cube in its place. I leave the plums empty. The topping has sugar and that's sweet enough for me.
Spread the dough around the plum making sure you get a dumpling of an even, round shape.
Dumplings are a summer dessert, but I like them so much that I usually freeze some fresh plums. They're just as good. You can also make dumplings with apricots or prunes.

Boil some water in a large saucepan. Add another pinch of salt and a tablespoon of oil. Dunk the dumplings inside.
After a few minutes they'll surface out but you need to cook them for at least 10-12 minutes. Then use a cake tester as you would with a sponge cake. If it comes out clean, your dumplings are done.

For the topping, melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the breadcrumbs, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla-flavoured sugar (optional). Stir to combine and simmer for a few minutes, until you notice the mixture is turning darker.
Coat the dumplings with this delicious topping and serve hot or warm. You can add a dollop of sour cream or Greek yoghurt on the side.
Dumplings will keep in the fridge for one day. They are one of my favourite breakfasts – if there’s any left from the day before!