Plum dumplings on Bavarian plum roast with vanilla sauce.

The „Wirtshaus in der Au“ and the “ Münchner Knödelei“ share their best dumpling secrets with us:

• 1 vanilla pod
• ¼ l milk
• 250 g cream
• 5 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons sugar

1. Wash the potatoes and cook in salted water with the skin on. Drain, allow to steam and peel while still hot.
2. Press the potatoes through a potato ricer and leave to cool.
3. Wash, halve and stone the plums. If they are too tart, you can replace the stone with a small marzipan ball or, in the classic way, with a sugar cube.
4. Add 25 g butter, egg yolk and 1 pinch of salt to the potato mixture and mix gently. Add the semolina and flour, knead to a smooth dough and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Preparation option 1:

Twist dumplings out of the potato dough with moistened hands. Flatten each dumpling slightly, place a plum in the centre, fold the rest of the dough over the filling and shape into dumplings. 

Preparation option 2:

On a floured work surface, roll out the potato dough to about ½ cm thick and cut out 5 to 6 cm squares. Place the plums in the centre, fold the corners over each other and shape into a dumpling. 

Cook the plum dumplings in boiling salted water. Melt the butter in a pan, add the breadcrumbs and fry until golden brown, stirring constantly. Shortly before the end, add sugar and cinnamon.

Lift the plum dumplings out of the water, drain and roll in the cinnamon crumbs. Cover the plum dumplings with the plum roast and vanilla sauce and dust with icing sugar.

1. Wash, halve and stone the plums. Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the pith with the back of a knife.
2. Caramelise the sugar in a pan and deglaze with port, rum and red wine. Add the lemon juice, cinnamon stick, vanilla pod and pulp, and cloves and simmer over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for a further 5 minutes.
3. Add the plums and continue to simmer until they are half cooked. Remove the spices and add a little cornflour if necessary.

1. Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the pulp with the back of a knife. Bring both to boil with the milk and and cream. Cover and set aside.
2. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until frothy, then pour in the hot vanilla milk. Pour back into the saucepan and stir over a low heat until creamy.
3. Remove the sauce from the heat immediately so that it does not burn or curdle. Serve the sauce with the plum dumplings and the plum roast.