Czech Sweet Cheese Dumplings with Fruit Sauce

When I first learned of this recipe, I couldn't wait to make it.  I love the Czech food I grew up with (my mom was from the Czech Republic), and I am now loving discovering it all over again!  Unfortunately, mom didn't teach us how to cook, so I've been teaching myself.  When I find something I love, I can't wait to share it with others! So, here you go!  

         It's So Worth It, So Make It!

Sweet Cheese Dumplings with Fruit Sauce

Ingredients:

500 gm (2 cups) quark, turo, tvaroh, farmer's cheese, or whole milk ricotta cheese

400 gm (2 1/4 cups) semolina flour

2 eggs

1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

pinch of salt

For the Sauce:

2 cups frozen or fresh fruits of your choice, seeds and pits removed, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup water

sugar to taste

Method:

Combine the cheese, semolina, eggs, almond extract, and salt in a large bowl.   

Mix until well combined.  Cover the bowl with a towel, and let it rest for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, the semolina will have had time to absorb the moisture from the eggs and extract, and the dough will be much softer.

 

While the dough to rests, let's make the sauce.  Place your chopped fruit, water, and sugar (how much sugar is up to you!) into a medium sauce pan. Turn the heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.   Cook the fruit for about 5 minutes.  Set the sauce aside. 

Now it's time to bring a large pot of water to a boil.

While we wait for the water to boil, we'll turn the dough into dumplings! Take a chunk of dough, roughly the size of a golf ball, and start working it in your hands.  Go ahead, mush it all around!  You are essentially kneading each dumpling this way (you can knead the entire batch of dough until it is smooth if you prefer.  It takes longer, though, and it isn't quite as much fun as doing one ball at a time).  The kneading helps to smooth out and incorporate the cheese- this is a very important step!  Knead each ball until it is smooth, and  looks like this: Note: If you are using ricotta cheese, skip the kneading step, and go straight into forming the balls.

When the dumplings are finished cooking, remove them from the pot using a slotted spoon.  

The dumpling on the right has not been kneaded. See how rough the texture is? Not good eats.  The dumpling on the left has been kneaded, and has a much smoother texture. Very good eats!

Serve 3-4 dumplings per person, drenched in your lovely fruit sauce! Enjoy!

  

Tip #1: No fruit available?  If you have any jam in your fridge, throw that in the pot and cook a bit instead! Omit the sugar if you use jam.

Tip #2:  For the more adventurous foodies out there, try the dumplings with any kind of balsamic vinegar! You can even "spike" your fruit sauce with it!

 For the how to video, click here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeNTWGwib20