My grandmother used to make plum dumplings in the late summer and fall when she would find juicy and sweet plums everywhere on the outside markets in Bucharest. This recipe has Hungarian, German, and Romanian origins, and it’s filling enough to be served as a separate dish or as a dessert after a light lunch or dinner.

For the best plum dumplings, use ripe small or medium plums (but not over-ripe) and floury potatoes.

READ MORE: Easy Romanian Fruit Cake (Pandispan cu fructe)

Ingredients:

For the filling:
10 – 20 small/medium plums
Sugar cubes or just sugar
Cinnamon

For the dough:
1 ½ cups flour
2 pounds potatoes
2 eggs
1 tablespoon butter
A pinch of salt

For coating:
1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
½ cups sugar
1 stick butter

Instructions:

1. Wash the plums and replace each pit with a sugar cube and a cinnamon sprinkle. Set aside.
2. Boil the potatoes and mash them up. Set aside to cool.
3. Mix the cool mashed potatoes with the flour, eggs, salt, and butter and knead to form a dough. Add more flour if necessary.
4. Roll the dough in a long shape about ⅓ inch thick and cut it into 2-inch pieces.
5. Take a piece of dough, place one plum in the middle (or half a plum if it’s too big), and roll it into a ball.
6. Put water to boil in a large pot. Add a pinch of salt. When water is boiling, add the dumplings and cook them for about 8-10 minutes until they reach the water’s surface. Remove the dumplings from the pot and let them drain.
7. In a pan, melt the butter and add the breadcrumbs and sugar. Toast the breadcrumbs for about 5 minutes and pay attention not to burn the mixture.
8. Roll the dumplings in the breadcrumb mix and serve them warm. Pofta buna!

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