Plum Dumplings, a popular dessert across Eastern Europe. It is made with fresh ripe plums coated in a mashed potato dough and tossed into sweetened cinnamon breadcrumbs. A fantastic Fall recipe that goes well with the whole family.
These plum dumplings are made the Romanian way - although I am pretty sure the recipe is not too different in other Eastern European countries. The main ingredients are pretty much the same, but you can decide how much sugar goes into them.
If the plums are ripe and sweet, we shouldn't need too much refined sugar added to them, since more it's then added to the breadcrumbs anyway. It's quite an unusual dessert if you think about it, but it's really delicious, and once you make the recipe once, you'll fall in love with it.
Plums are at the their best in Autumn, and they are easily available from the end of August onwards. I mean, the real deal, those plums that actually taste the way they should taste, the juicy and ripe ones, not the supermarket kind of plums that can be found outside their season too.
Nah, those ones won't work, simply because they are not sweet enough for you to truly enjoy this dessert. And it really is a special dish. Let' see how to make it!
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Ingredients used
- plums - choose plums that are ripe and juicy and can be easily pitted. Unripe plums will be too sour, and even the sugar added wouldn't make the dumplings taste that good
- flour - plain flour is all we need
- potatoes - whatever you have around
- breadcrumbs - I used golden breadcrumbs, but use whatever you have
- cinnamon - it works wonderfully well with plums
- sugar - I used caster sugar, but granulated sugar also ok
- butter - for mixing with the breadcrumbs
- egg - for binding the potato dough
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- peel and cut the potatoes into fries
- add them to a pan, and pour enough water to cover them completely
- boil on a medium heat until the potatoes are tender
- drain the water, and allow them to cool
- mash them well, then add the egg and flour, and mix well to get a sticky dough
- cut the plums lengthwise, but not all the way through, just enough to be able to pit them
- add 2 tablespoons of sugar and one teaspoon of cinnamon and toss well
- take 2 spoonful of dough, flatten it up, add one plus in the middle and wrap the dough around it to seal well
- repeat with the rest of the plums
- bring a pan of salted water to the boil, and add the dumplings to it - work in batches if necessary
- once the dumplings float to the surface, they are ready
- in a pan set over a medium heat, melt the butter, and the breadcrumbs and sugar, and stir well
- add the cinnamon, and continue to stir for 2-3 minutes
- toss the hot dumplings into the breadcrumbs while they are still hot, then allow them to cool down before serving
Expert tips
Make sure the potato dough is sticky, more like a thicker mash, if the dough doesn't stick to the hands at all, it means the dumplings will be too tough.
Have a bowl of water around to wet your hands when you shape the dumplings, it is a lot easier to do so without the dough sticking badly to your hands.
Other plum desserts
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Plum Dumplings
Ingredients
- 500 g white potatoes (1 pound)
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 egg
- 10 fresh plums (ripe)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 30 g butter ( 1 oz)
Instructions
- Cut the plums lengthwise, but not all the way through, just enough to remove the pits.
- Add 2 tablespoons of sugar to them together with one teaspoon of cinnamon, toss well, and set aside.
- In a pan set over a low heat, melt the butter, add the breadcrumbs, and stir well then add the remaining sugar and cinnamon, and stir again for a further 2-3 minutes.
- Remove fromt the heat and set aside.
- Peel and cut the potatoes into fries, and transfer them to a pan set over a medium to high heat.
- Cover them with water, and leave to boil until the potatoes are tender.
- Drain the water, and mash them potatoes.
- Leave to cool, then add the eggs and flour, and knead into a smooth, but very sticky dough.
- Take one-two tablespoons of dough, flatten it up, then place a plum in the middle and wrap the dough around it.
- Repeat with the remaining plums.
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, drop the dumplings in, working in batches if necessary, and boil until the dumplings float to the surface.
- Remove them from the pot, and toss well into the breadcrumbs while they are still hot.
- Leave to cool before serving.
Video
Notes
- Make sure the potato dough is sticky, more like a thicker mash, if the dough doesn't stick to the hands at all, it means the dumplings will be too tough.
- Have a bowl of water around to wet your hands when you shape the dumplings, it is a lot easier to do so without the dough sticking badly to your hands.
Plum Grower
Delicious! What a delight to eat. Nice tart, sweet and soft center!
Daniela Apostol
Glad you liked them!
Steph
I have red potatoes in my pantry…can I use those?
Daniela Apostol
Yes, they will work too.
Heidi
Do these freeze well? If yes what is the best way to reheat them?
Daniela Apostol
Hi! I am afraid I have never tried to freeze them, so I am unsure whether it works. I wouldn't think so, as when they might get too soggy.
Rebbie
FANTASTIC!!! Just as I remember from my childhood.
An elderly Slovak lady used to make them for us. In response to the previous question about freezing...if toppings, such as bread crumbs or poppy seed were already on the dumplings then we would reheat on low on the stove. If there were no toppings on them yet, we would drop them in boiling water and wait for them to float them roll them in the topping of choice.