Cherry dumplings (cseresznyes gomboc)

This Hungarian recipe for dumplings uses a technique similar to making gnocchi. When cooked the dough forms a pillowy ball around the cherries. Be sure to boil the potatoes in their skins as it helps controls how much moisture gets into the potato and therefore the dough.

Cherry dumplings (cseresznyes gomboc) Credit: Alan Benson

• makes

  30

• prep

  45 minutes

• cook

  1:40 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 kg Sebago potatoes 
• 250 g unsalted butter, chopped 
• 400 g (2⅓ cups) plain flour 
• 1 egg 
• 680 g pitted Morello cherries 
• 70 g (1 cup) stale breadcrumbs 
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1½ tbsp caster sugar 
• icing sugar, to serve

Instructions

Bring potatoes to the boil in a pan of salted water. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 hour or until tender. Drain, cool slightly, then, holding each potato in a tea towel, peel them.

Place potatoes in a bowl and mash. Add 50 g butter, 300 g flour, egg and 1 tsp salt. Combine, then knead in bowl with remaining 100 g flour, adding extra flour if neccesary, until a soft dough (don’t overwork dough).

Using floured hands throughout, turn out dough onto a floured surface and divide into 30 balls. Working with one ball at a time, make a hole in the centre. Place 3 cherries inside, fold dough over to enclose and re-roll into a ball. Place dumplings on a floured tray.

Working in batches of 5, drop dumplings into a saucepan of boiling salted water and cook for 6 minutes or until they rise to the surface. Remove and place on a large tray (see note).

Melt remaining 200 g butter in a large frying pan over high heat. Add breadcrumbs and cook for 2 minutes or until light golden. Cook dumplings, shaking the pan, for 2 minutes or until well coated. Combine cinnamon and sugar, roll dumplings in the mixture, then dust with icing sugar to serve.

Note:

You could refrigerate them in an airtight container at this stage for up to 2 days. Then reheat in boiling sakted water for 2 minutes and then continue the recipe.

As seen in Feast magazine, Issue 9, pg56.

Photography by Alan Benson.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.