Ovocné knedlíky
Czech fruit dumplings: quark dough around whole apricots or plums, with brown butter, sugar and quark
Ovocné knedlíky are the summer main course of Czech childhoods: in July with apricots from South Moravian orchards, in September with blue plums, eaten as lunch rather than pudding. Each soft quark dumpling hides a whole fruit that turns jammy as it simmers, and they are served the old way, rolled in melted butter and buried under grated tvaroh (quark) and icing sugar. Kids compete over who can eat the most. Chef's tip: pinch the dough completely closed with no thin patches; a single gap lets water in and the dumpling bursts in the pot.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
To serve
To cook
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz quark (tvaroh), 1 egg and 1 oz softened butter until smooth, then add 8 oz plain flour, 1 oz fine semolina and 1 pinch salt and knead briefly to a soft dough that just stops sticking. Rest for 15 minutes; the semolina will firm it up.
15 minStep 2: For apricots, slit each 12 small apricots or plums on one side, pull out the stone and push in one of 12 sugar cubes. Plums can go in whole or stoned the same way.
Step 3: Roll the dough into a log and cut into 12 pieces. Flatten each on a floured hand to a 9 cm round, set a fruit in the middle and pull the dough up and around it. Pinch firmly, then roll between your palms into a smooth ball.
Step 4: Bring a wide pan of water to the boil with 1 tsp salt for the cooking water, then turn it down to a lively simmer. Add the dumplings in batches so they have room to roll, cover and cook for 7–8 minutes, turning once, until they float and the dough is firm when pressed.
8 minStep 5: Lift out with a slotted spoon and prick each once with a fork to let steam out.
Step 6: Serve 3 per person drizzled with 2 ⅞ oz butter, with 5 ½ oz quark (tvaroh) for grating grated over coarsely and a snowfall of 4 tbsp icing sugar.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 610 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 78 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ovocné knedlíky take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of egg?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of softened butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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