Mislila sam da su jedine prave knedle sa šljivama one od "krompirovog" testa, a da su svi drugi recepti u stvari neka izmišljotina. Međutim, listajući "Veliki narodni kuvar" (koji je prvi put izdat davne 1939. godine), osim recepta za knedle sa krompirovim testom, pronašla sam i ovaj od "kuvanog" testa...
Isprobala, zadovoljna - brže se pravi, testo je fino, ukus sličan!
Staviti da provri 500ml vode sa 50g putera (margarina ili masti), skloniti sa ringle, dodati 400g brašna. Energično izmešati varjačom, vratiti na ringlu i još minut mešati. Testo u ovoj fazi bude prilično tvrdo, pa sam dodala još par kašika vode da bih sjedinila svo brašno. U kuvaru kaže da se koristi oštro brašno - pravila sam i sa mekim, i sa oštrim, ne vidim razliku. Ostaviti kuvano testo da se prohladi do sobne temperature.
Dok se testo hladi, oprati, osušiti šljive i povaditi koštice. Šljive treba da su zrele, ali čvrste. Svaku šljivu napuniti kockicom šećera (ili pola kašičice šećera).
Na mikser staviti spiralne metlice za testo (mada može i varjačom da se muti, ali je teže). U ohlađenu skuvanu masu dodati jedno po jedno 3-4 jaja (zavisi od veličine). Kada se doda prvo jaje masa se i dalje odvaja prilikom mućenja, a kada se dodaju sva jaja treba da bude kompaktna, glatka, formira loptu oko spirala na mikseru. Paziti da ne bude suviše retko testo. Ako se ovo desi, onda dodati još malčice brašna. Meni je 3 jaja bilo dovoljno - testo je bilo taman kako treba.
U veću šerpu sipati vodu, posoliti sa 2 kašičice soli, staviti da provri.
Za to vreme praviti knedle. Ruke posuti brašnom, kidati komade testa veličine oraha, spljeskati na dlanu, staviti šljivu, lepo zatvoriti sa svih strana, oblikovati. Formirane knedle ređati na tacnu posutu brašnom. U zavisnosti od veličine voća - dobije se 16 do 20 knedli.
Knedle ubacivati u ključalu vodu, ali da ih ne bude previše u šerpi. Kada isplivaju na površinu potrebno je kuvati ih još oko 8-10 minuta. Izvadila sam jednu čim je isplivala na površinu, presekla da proverim da li je gotova, ali je sredina i dalje bila "gnjecava". Ostale knedle, koje sam ostavila da se još kuvaju nakon što su se podigle na površinu, bile su lepo skuvane i unutra. Kuvane knedle vaditit rešetkastom kašikom, staviti ih u đevđir da se ocede.
Dok se knedle kuvaju, u plitku široku šerpu (ili tiganj) staviti suncokretovo ulje da pokrije dno i dosta prezli (7-10 kašika), propržiti na umerenoj temperaturi da porumene - mešati da ne izgore. Oceđene knedle staviti na tople propržene prezle i sa svih strana lepo uvaljati. Ređati ih u plitku činiju za služenje, ali nikako jednu na drugu. Ako nestane prezli, propržiti dodatnu količinu. Viškom posuti knedle.
Knedle poslužiti tople ili hladne. Neposredno pred služenje, posuti ih šećerom. Po želji, može i malo cimeta da se doda.
U nedostatku svežih šljiva, budite kreativni... koristiti: kajsije, breskve, višnje iz kompota, džem+mleveni keks, nutela+mleveni keks, čokolada, fil od maka (gusto skuvan na mleku i zaslađen), pa čak i poslastičarski krem od vanile (skuvan, raspoređen u polu-loptaste modle za led, zamrznut - da bi mogao da se obloži testom)...
Sastojci: 50g putera (margarina ili masti), 400g brašna, 3-4 jaja, malo ulja, prezle, šećer za posipanje, oko 20 komada zrelih šljiva.
Plum dumplings (method 2)
I always thought that the only original plum dumplings are the one made of "potato" dough, and that all the other recipes were fake. Reading a Serbian cookbook "bible" (which was first published back in 1939.), besides the recipe for dumplings with potato dough, I also found this one which is made with "cooked dough", similar to choux pastry...
I tested it and was pleased to find out that it is made faster, the dough is fine, the taste is similar to original "potato dough"!
Bring to a boil 500ml of water with 50g of butter (margarine or fat), remove from heat, add 400g of all purpose flour. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, bring back to stove and cook for another minute. The dough is quite hard at this stage, so I added a few more tablespoons of water to combine all the flour. The cookbook says that pastry flour is used - I made it with both all purpose and pastry flour, and no difference for me. Let the dough reach room temperature.
While the dough is cooling, wash, dry the plums and remove the stones. Plums should be ripe but firm. Put a sugar cube (or half a teaspoon of sugar) in each plum.
Put the dough hook on the mixer (although it can be mixed with a wooden spoon, but it is harder). To the cooled dough add 3-4 eggs (depending on the size), one at a time. When the first egg is added, the dough is still in chunks while mixing, but when all the eggs are added, it should be compact, smooth, forming a ball around the mixer hook. Be careful not to make the dough too thin by adding more eggs than needed. If this happens, add a little more flour to adjust the texture. I used 3 eggs - the dough was just right.
Into a large cooking pot put water and 2 teaspoons of salt, bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, make dumplings. Sprinkle hands with flour, tear a piece of dough the size of a walnut, flatten on a palm, put a plum in the middle, close nicely on all sides, shape, put on a tray sprinkled with flour. Depending on the size of the fruit - you'll get 16 to 20 dumplings.
Cook dumplings into the boiling water, but do not overcrowd the pot. When they rise to the surface, it is necessary to cook them for additional 8-10 minutes. I took one out as soon as it started floating on the surface, cut it in half to check if it was done, but in the middle it was still "gooey". The other dumplings, which I left to cook after they rose to the surface, were nicely cooked inside as well. Take out the cooked dumplings with a slotted spoon, put them in a colander to drain.
Breadcrumbs coating -While the dumplings are cooking, take a shallow wide cooking pot (or skillet) put sunflower oil to cover the bottom and a lot of breadcrumbs (7-10 tablespoons), fry at a medium heat until golden brown - stir to avoid to get burned. Place the drained dumplings on warm breadcrumbs coating, roll them nicely on all sides. Arrange them in a shallow serving bowl, but not on top of each other. If you run out of the coating, make another batch. If you made more than needed, sprinkle the dumplings with the excess.
Serve dumplings hot or cold, sprinkle with caster sugar just before serving. If you like add a pinch of cinnamon.
When fresh plums are out of season, be creative, use: apricots, peaches, cherries from compote, jam+ground biscuits, nutella+ground biscuits, chocolate, thick poppy seeds filling (cooked in milk and sweetened), even vanilla pastry cream (when cooked, transfer into semi-sphere ice molds, freeze and use frozen - so that it can be easily encapsulated within dough)...
Ingredients: 50g butter (margarine or fat), 400g flour, 3-4 eggs, a little oil, breadcrumbs, sprinkle sugar, about 20 pieces of ripe plums.
