Czech in the Kitchen

Czech Fruit Dumplings

Pussycat

Yum



Oh…”Those fruit dumplings are my favourite.” Something my kids would say frequently enough that it meant anytime I found the time or energy these little babies would be a welcomed treat.  I always remember them feeling like a monumental amount of work.  They’re finicky and temperamental, you have to cook them just right, too long and they’re slimy, too short and they are raw inside.  You can’t make them with frozen fruit because the coldness of the fruit completely messes with the cooking time… the inside needs much longer than the outside and so you can’t balance it out… it’s a bit of a mess.  You have to make sure you pry them open as soon as you take them out of the water so as to let the steam escape.  Sometimes if they haven’t been sealed properly they open up in the water while cooking… YUK.

My bathroom scale is screaming at me right now… ‘DON’T DO IT!’  But I don’t listen do I?  I can’t help myself.  A couple of weekends ago I could rationalize these because I made them for my daughter’s birthday.  We had people over and all 45-50 of them disappeared. A bunch were eaten and the rest I sent home to each of the kids.

This weekend I can’t make a similar statement.  We are having people over but really this weekend is really about me and my love for carbs.  Last time I made them with strawberries and though good, my favourite are definitely ones with apricots.  The nice sour tang of the fruit with the soft bun and the sweet luscious cottage cheese smothered in butter and sugar… OMG… I can’t keep myself away.

Initially I made them with double the amount of this recipe and as my mother was reading it to me we were both thinking wow, a KG of flour?  Clearly though, having made about 50 I went with the full recipe all the while thinking … This is insane.  So when I was writing down the ingredients on a stickie note for future use I was already cutting it in half.  My memory is so lousy that when I looked at the recipe this morning I thought I was making the whole of it but clearly I wasn’t. I was making the one I had cut in half.  So here you go, for normal people here is the recipe that will make about two dozen.

Though if you want to dare take the plunge and you have room in a pair of stretchy pants then you can easily make the 4 dozen.  They’re really not that big and 4 dozen disappear very quickly, I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t love these.

Fruit Dumplings

Makes approximately 24 – 26 dumplings

Mix the milk and sugar in a bowl and microwave until just hot to the touch, they say 110 to 115 degrees degrees Fahrenheit but I’ve never taken the temperature, my mother always taught me that it needs to feel hot to the touch, just not burning hot.  I don’t think this is an EXACT science, I always used touch and am sure it’s has not been the exact same twice and has always worked but I digress… add the yeast and let it sit until it’s nice and foamy.

Add the egg to the mixer along with the yeast and milk mixture and mix with a dough hook starting slowly.  As it become more incorporated turn up the mixer and allow it to ‘knead’ the dough until it’s just slightly sticky on the side of the bowl.  I have added a couple of tablespoons of flour near the end to help the dough separate from the side of the bowl.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and sprinkle the top with flour.  Set aside in a nice warm place, close to a heating vent (that’s what we used to do), in a closed oven that is warmed but not ON unless you have a ‘proof’ setting.  Or in an oven with a proof setting on 90 degrees.  Allow to rise for about an hour or doubled in size.

Meanwhile set up a large pot of water to boil, I use a roasting pan on two elements on my stove…. This allows me much more space than a normal pot and I can cook about 8 to 10 at a time.

Once the dough has risen dump it on your work surface kneading it back to a nice round ball of dough and then break into 24 to 26 mostly equal sections. (Again, I don’t measure or weigh to have them perfect.  The actual recipe says to take spoonfuls… which means use a soup spoon and helps you to pretty much golf ball sized chunks). Knead these chunks into balls and then work with the first batch placing a half of a plum or apricot or some fresh berries… seal them into nice round buns and let them sit about 5 minutes, this is while i’m waiting for the already hot water to come back to a boil.

Place them in the pot of lightly bubbling water and set the timer on for 5 minutes (cook for the first 5 minutes covered) then when the timer goes off, flip them over and cook for another 5 minutes uncovered.

Once done take them out of the water, place on a rack and using two forks pry them open, just enough to let the steam from the inside around the fruit come out.  Not doing this will make them sticky and pasty inside.  While you were boiling the first batch you should have made the second and they have had time to sit until you pull the first batch out placing the second in the pot…. on and on… you get it… there’s a rhythm here.

These are then served hot, covered with cottage cheese, sprinkled with sugar and then yes… seriously …. pour hot melted butter over the whole thing.  I had some leftover blueberry sauce I made for a Pavlova so there’s a little on these too.  These are definitely not for any Keto dieters…. they are decadent… they are luscious and once you get started they are highly addictive….  If you refrigerate them the best way to warm them up is either in a steam oven or steamed over a pot of water…. Yes, I have microwaved them… and yes… they are still very edible. 😉  If I ever have left overs I’d like to see how they freeze …. haven’t gotten there yet. 🙂

* Still only use 1 egg if you double the rest of the ingredients to make 4 dozen.  The original recipe with 1 kg of flour only includes one egg but it’s not so easy to put in half an egg so I put a whole egg and it didn’t ruin anything.

** Half of an apricot is my favourite but I’ve also had them with plums or berries, and apples.