Apricots and prunes are in season, last week I was invited to a friend’s place for dinner. She was going to make Marillenknödel. To be honest, I was feeling skeptical of having a sweet dish as main course sounded a bit weird to me, I did not intend to go in the first place also because I am not a big fan of apricots but probably I was destined to sample this, I bumped into Christa during the weekend at IKEA and since I did not have special plans that evening and Peter is on business trip, why not? I should put aside my predetermined idea aside and put my open-minded gourmet traveller hat on. And I was so glad I had gone that evening otherwise I would have missed such a beautiful local Austrian dish.

Since this is served as a main course, you can start with a green salad. As for drinks we had champagne. White wine will fit of course.

Moët & Chandon Nectar Imperial is much nicer than the normal ones, sweeter, not so sour!

If you search online, you will find different versions, the German version use curd cheese in the dough. Christa’s version does not have cheese.

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 1kg potatoes (choose the ones that are suitable for bake potatoes)
• 30g butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 pack powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 50g semolina
• 250g Mehl glatt (flour, but a special kind – almost like what pizzabakers are using, but normal all purpose flour works as well)
• 250g butter melted for buttered breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp milk or 1 egg
• brown sugar
• 750g or 12 apricots and 750g or 12 prunes
• breadcrumbs (buy the ones named “Semmelbrösel” rather than paniermehl, if you can get it)
• sugar cubes (optional, we have opt this out)

Directions:

1. Boil the potatoes, peel and mash (pass through sieve) very finely.
2. Put butter in flakes on top. Let it cool.
3. Put in dry ingredients and mix. Then add egg or milk and shortly knead. (Note: Potatoes dough may NOT rest but has to be used immediately.)
4. Wash apricots/ prunes, take out pit. Fill with a piece of square sugar, if desired.
5. Put apricots/ prunes on a piece of dough and completely wrap around apricot, let aside.
6. Prepared buttered breadcrumbs with melted butter (breadcrumbs : butter ratio about 1:1), add brown sugar according to your taste, stir and mix throughoutly.
7. Cook in salt water for 5-10 minutes, until the knödel floats on top of the water.
8. Take knödel out of the water and ready to serve.
9. Sprinkle on top with the prepared roasted breadcrumbs and powdered sugar on top.

Marillenknödel 

Enjoy! Guten Appetit!

I have also found several blog posts in English which you can make reference to:

• Delicious Day: Seasonal dumplings marillenknodel
• Delicious Day: Zwetschgenknodel
• The Fresh Loaf
• The Wednesday Chef