This recipe is an ancient favorite of mine.  It reminds me of my grandmother’s cooking days and my Sunday visits to her with my mom.

This recipe goes back to my great-grandmother who was of German descent, and most likely back to her mother and grandmother, which datewise would go back to the 1700s.

These Steamed Fruit Dumplings (referred to as Perizhky, by my grandma), are much simpler to cook now, than in my grandmother’s days.  She used cheesecloth tied around a big pot of hot water, but you can use a steamer basket lined with a coffee filter.

You can use a variety of fruit fillings for these dumplings, such as shredded apples, plums, blueberries, cherries, etc.

My daughter bought me a jar of Tart Cherry Fruit Spread at Trader Joe’s and my family enjoyed this filling.  My mom used to fill them mostly with shredded apples flavored with brown sugar and cinnamon, freshly picked blueberries, or any seasonal fruit from our orchard.

I love these fluffy dumplings because they are so light in texture and deliciously served with melted butter and sugar.

This recipe yields about 24 dumplings.

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A ball of dough, ready to rest.

The dough roll is about 1.5 inches in diameter and 15-18 inches in length.

Using a knife, cut the dough roll into 1.5-inch pieces.

Flatten slightly one piece at a time to form a dough circle ready for filling.

Filled balls are placed on a floured tea towel, ready to rest and rise in a warm place.

All risen and ready to steam.

The steamer is ready and filled with dumplings for steaming.

If you wish, you can also use a large pot covered with a double thickness of cheesecloth, fastened around the rim of the pot with twine, or a large rubber band.  You need to make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the cheesecloth after the dumplings are placed on it.  I would suggest not to fill the pot with water more than 1/3 full.

Steamed dumplings waiting to cool off.

Steamed Fruit Dumplings – Recipe and Technique

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1/4 oz Active Dry Yeast ( 1 package)
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbs lukewarm water
• 3/4 cup lukewarm milk, scalded
• Fruit for filling (pitted canned plums, fresh chopped apples, dry prunes, fresh blueberries)
• Butter, sugar, cinnamon - for serving suggestions

Instructions

1. Dissolve the sugar in the lukewarm water.
2. Sprinkle the yeast over the sugar water.
3. Let it stand for 10 minutes, to dissolve and activate.
4. Scald the milk, and cool to lukewarm.
5. Combine the lukewarm milk with the yeast mixture.
6. Add the beaten eggs and salt.
7. Stir in the flour, and mix by hand for 10-15 minutes to form a soft dough.
8. Cover and let rise in a warm place, until double in bulk (see TIP).
9. Cut the dough in 2 equal parts.
10. On a floured work area, roll one part at a time into a long dough roll, about 1 1/2 inch in diameter and 15-18 inches long.
11. Using a knife, cut the dough roll into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
12. Flatten slightly one piece at a time to form a dough circle ready to fill. Place filling in the middle of the circle and seal edges together.
13. Form a ball, and place on a cookie sheet lined with a floured tea towel.
14. Space the dumpling balls apart, so they to not stick as they rise.
15. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces, and the remaining half of the dough.
16. Cover with another tea towel, keep in a warm place until double in bulk.
17. Fill a steamer pot with water, at least 1 inch below the steamer basket, and bring to boil.
18. Place a large coffee filter in the steamer basket.
19. Place dumplings in the lined steamer basket, do not overcrowd them.
20. Cover the pot and continue steaming for 5 minutes.
21. Uncover.
22. Gently remove dumplings, one at a time, onto a wire rack to cool off.
23. Repeat this process until all dumplings are steamed.
24. These may be served warm with melted butter, then sprinkled with granulated sugar, or with sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Notes

To speed up the process of rising dough, I cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel, and keep it in a previously warmed oven to 100 degrees F, then turned off.

You may do the same with the filled dumplings waiting to rise again, if your room temperature is too cool.

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