Bavarian Plum Dumplings

Ingredients:

Dumplings

• 500g quark
• 50g unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 egg
• 250g flour
• 12 plums
• 12 sugar cubes
• 35g sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon
• pinch of salt

Butter sauce

• 100g unsalted butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp sugar

Directions:

1. Mix quark, egg, butter, flour, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a large bowl. The dough should be thick enough to make into a ball; if too runny add more flour, if too dry add some water.
2. Heat plenty of salted water in a large saucepan.
3. Whilst this comes to the boil the plums need destoning – to do this cut the plum lengthways but only on one side. Carefully remove the stone trying to keep plum whole. Put a sugar cube inside each plum.
4. Take a small handful of dough and form into a patty. Push a plum into the centre and then work dough around to cover the plum evenly.
5. Reduce the heat so that the water is simmering gently. Carefully lower the dumplings into the water. The dumplings should take about 20mins to cook – check this by lifting one out of the water, if it’s done then the surface should be shiny and firm, rather than slightly sticky and runny.
6. Place the dumplings in a baking tray and put in a preheated oven 180 degrees C for about 5/10 mins or until golden brown.
7. In the meantime melt the remaining butter. Mix cinnamon and sugar together.
8. Before serving pour the butter over the dumplings and then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mix.