Hungarian Plum Dumplings (Szilvás Gombóc) Recipe

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 04/28/21
Hungarian plum dumpling
Gillian Vann / Getty Images
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 55 mins
Rest Time: 30 mins
Total: 115 mins
Servings: 18 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
296 Calories
4g Fat
61g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 18
Amount per serving
Calories 296
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 27mg 9%
Sodium 199mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 61g 22%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 23g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 80mg 398%
Calcium 63mg 5%
Iron 2mg 14%
Potassium 714mg 15%
*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.)

Hungarian plum dumplings, known as szilvás gombóc, can be eaten as a dessert, a meatless main dish, or side dish.

Like Polish, Romanian, and Croatian plum dumplings, the dough is made with freshly mashed potatoes that have been cooled. Don't use leftover mashed potatoes for this recipe as you will typically have included things like salt, butter, or cream. You want the mashed potatoes to be just potatoes without any additions. You can mash them or use a ricer.

Another difference from other plum dumplings is that the dough is rolled with a pin rather than formed into dumplings by hand. A great finishing touch is a buttered breadcrumb coating and a dusting with cinnamon sugar.

These Hungarian plum dumplings look lovely when cut in half, exposing the fruit inside. You'll want to take a photo to show how your efforts paid off. They go great with pork dishes as a side or make a dessert that isn't overly sweet. If you're trimming sugar, you control how much you sprinkle on the finished dumplings.

Ingredients

  • 5 medium potatoes

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon salt, more for the pot

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 18 small fresh damson or Italian plums, pitted

  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

  • 1 1/2 cups fine breadcrumbs

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Peel the potatoes and boil for 20 to 25 minutes until they are soft enough to mash. Remove them from the water, mash, and cool them. They must be cool before using in the next step.

  3. In a large bowl, combine the cooled mashed potatoes, eggs, and salt. When well combined, add flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.

  4. Place a large pot of salted water on to boil.

  5. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/3 inch. Cut into 2-inch squares.

  6. Place a plum in the center of each square and fold in half, pressing out all air and sealing the edges. Moisten the edges before crimping, if necessary to seal.

  7. Carefully drop the filled dumplings individually into boiling water. Repeat until all plums are in the water. Cook for 30 minutes.

  8. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet, add breadcrumbs, and brown. Remove from heat and set aside. 

  9. Using a slotted spoon, remove the dumplings to a colander to drain. Place the skillet back on the heat and add the dumplings, coating them with the buttered crumbs.

  10. Mix the sugar and cinnamon.

  11. Transfer the dumplings to a serving platter and sprinkle them with the cinnamon sugar.

  12. Serve the dumplings warm and enjoy.