German Plum Dumplings (Zwetschgenknoedel)

By
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin learned to cook German food while living in Germany for 11 years and has worked in the food industry for many years.
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Updated on 07/26/21
Plum dumplings

Chris Schfer / Getty Images

Prep: 80 mins
Cook: 24 mins
Total: 104 mins
Servings: 3 to 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
617 Calories
22g Fat
102g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 617
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 13g 64%
Cholesterol 88mg 29%
Sodium 246mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 102g 37%
Dietary Fiber 10g 34%
Total Sugars 66g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 153mg 767%
Calcium 155mg 12%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 985mg 21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

A fun dessert or main dish for a weekday, plum dumplings ("Zwetschgenknödel") are a classic German "Mehlspeise" for the fall. The tart plums contrast nicely with the quark dumpling and cinnamon sugar.

If you are serving these for a meal, three or four per person are probably enough. If these are for dessert, one or two per person are fine.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quark, or yogurt cheese

  • 10 tablespoons butter, divided

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1 large egg

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

  • Dash kosher salt

  • 12 plums

  • 12 sugar cubes

  • 4 to 5 pieces Zwieback, crushed (or 1 cup breadcrumbs)

  • 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar (or confectioners' sugar)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Pour off any liquids from quark or yogurt cheese and pat dry.

  3. Mix quark, 7 tablespoons softened butter, and sugar until smooth. Stir in egg and lemon zest.

  4. Stir or sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix into batter to form a smooth, soft dough.

  5. Refrigerate dough for about 1 hour.

  6. Heat a large pan of salted water to boiling and reduce heat to simmer.

  7. Wash plums and slit them halfway (down "seam" is good) to remove pit. Replace pit with a sugar cube and press cut sides together.

  8. Using about 1/12th of the dough, form a ball with floured hands, then press ball flat on a well-floured surface. Wrap dough around a plum and pinch to seal well.

  9. Simmer plums in hot water until done, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on size. The only way to tell if they are done is to test one or through experience. The water should not boil because that makes dough fall apart.

  10. While they are simmering, melt remaining butter in a pan and stir in Zwieback or bread crumbs. Heat and toast crumbs.

  11. Remove dumplings and drain well. Roll in buttered crumbs and serve with cinnamon and sugar or sprinkled with powdered sugar. You could also serve them with vanilla sauce or whipped cream.

Tip

  • These are best fresh but can be placed on a cookie sheet and kept warm for awhile before serving.

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