These Best Plum Dumplings come from many countries in Europe have a version of Plum Dumplings from Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Czech Republic, and Germany. A potato enriched dough is wrapped around an Italian prune plum then briefly boiled and coated in butter browned bread crumbs. Perfect with pork or kielbasa or alone for breakfast these plum dumplings can be eaten, warm or cold.
Italian prune plums are in the markets briefly around the end of August and the beginning of September. They are small, purple and sweet when ripe and are the same plums from which prunes are made, hence the name.
Sugar cubes can be found in the sugar section of stores and come in little boxes.
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Ingredients
Plum Prep
- Italian Prune Plums
- Sugar cubes
Back row - Italian Blue Plums. Front row - Sugar Cubes
Potato Dough
BACK ROW: Mashed potatoes, all-purpose flour.
FRONT ROW: Butter, eggs, salt
Bread Crumb Garnish
Back row - Left, breadcrumbs, brown sugar. Front,butter
- Butter
- Bread Crumbs
- Light or Dark Brown Sugar
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Plum Prep
Cut the plums in half from stem end to bottom. Remove the seeds.
Replace the seed with a cube of sugar. Alternatively, add a teaspoon of granulated sugar. Set aside.
Mashed Potato Dough
Place the flour, salt, and butter cubes in a mixing bowl.
Butter cut in until indistinguishable.
Add mashed potatoes.
Beat until the potatoes are completely mixed in.
Add Egg.
Mix well to complete Mashed Potato Dough for the Plum Dumplings.
Assembly
Cut into 16 - 4" squares.
Place a plum in the center of a square. Bring one corner up and over the plum.
Bring the opposite corner of the square over the top of the plum.
Take the left corner up and over the plum.
Bring the last corner up and over to completely cover the plum.
Pinch all of the edges together to seal the plum dumpling.
Rolling between hands
Finished Plum Dumpling
Cooking and Breadcrumb Garnish
Melt the butter in a large skillet or saute pan.
Add the breadcrumbs and brown over low heat. Stir frequently so they don't burm.
Browned breadcrumbs
Removed from the heat and add the brown sugar. Stir to incorporate it completely. Set aside.
Plum dumplings ready to be cooked. Bring 6 to 8 quarts of water to a boil.
Plum dumplings in boiling water rising to the top of the pan when they are done.
Cooked plum dumplings in breadcrumbs.
Ready to eat plum dumplings
Hint: Watch the breadcrumbs carefully and stir frequently. They have a tendency to over-brown or burn quickly.
Storage of the Best Plum Dumplings
After shaping, these plum dumplings can cooked immediately or frozen for several months. After cooking, these can be left out at room temperature of hours but they should be stored in the refrigerator overnight.
Top tip
There is no difference in the dough when using freshly mashed potatoes or instant mashed potatoes. The instant potatoes just makes it faster and easier. Since different brands have different reconstituting instructions, it is important to follow the directions on the box. Do not use the butter, salt or any other ingredient suggested. Use only the water and potato flakes.
Best Plum Dumplings
Ingredients
Plum Dumplings
- 1 large baking potato Instant mashed potatoes
- 16 Italian prune plums
- 16 sugar cubes
- 2 ½ cups flour (350 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter cold (45 grams or 1 ½ ounces)
- 2 eggs, beaten
Crumb Garnish
- ½ cup butter (114 grams, 4 ounces, or 1 stick)
- 2 cups plain breadcrumbs (215 grams or 7 ½ ounces)
- 1 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed (200 grams or 7 ounces)
Instructions
- If using the baking potato, peel and cut it into 1 inch dice. Cover with water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until soft but not mushy.
- Fit a mixer with the whisk attachment and mash the potato. Measure 1 ¼ cups and cool completely.
- Alternatively, reconstitute the instant mashed potatoes according to the directions on the box to make 1 ¼ cups. Cool completely.
- In the meantime, pit the plums and place a cube of sugar in each void. Set aside.
- Add the flour and salt to the mixer bowl. Cut the cold butter into pieces and add to the bowl. Mix at medium until the butter is cut in so it is indistinguishable.
- Add the mashed potatoes and mix in completely.
- Add the eggs and mix until a soft , slightly sticky dough forms.
- Remove it from the bowl and knead it several times to smooth it out.
- Lightly flour the work surface and the top of the dough. Roll the dough into a 16”x16” rectangle. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Cut into 4” squares.
- Put a plum in the center of the square. Bring each corner up and over the top of the plum. Pinch very well to seal all edges.
- Roll between the palms of your hands to make a round dumpling. Cover with a towel if cooking immediately or freeze.
- Bring 6 to 8 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoons of salt.
- While the water is coming to a boil, melt the butter over low heat in a large skillet or sauté pan. Add the breadcrumbs and toast to a medium brown. Stir frequently to prevent over-browning or burning.
- Remove from the heat and add the brown sugar. Set aside.
- Add about 6 to 8 dumplings to the boiling water. They will sink to the bottom of the pot. Cook 7 to 9 minutes, stirring once or twice to make sure they are not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Cook for about 7 to 9 minutes if cooking immediately. Add a few minutes if they are frozen. When they rise to the top of the pot, they are done. Immediately remove one at a time from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to the crumb mixture. Roll gently to coat completely. Repeat with remaining dumplings. Sprinkle the additional crumbs over the dumplings.
Notes
Nutrition
Evelyn says
As a non-cook, I can attest that these dumplings are easy to make. My being from a midwestern farm family, all of your mother's cooking was exotic (and wonderful!) to me. I particularly loved Mom S's plum dumplings. I made some each fall, for many years, but it's been a while.
So many fruits are no longer available at our local supermarkets - or I miss them during the short time they are available. Blue plums and Concord grapes are a real find, when available at all.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Evelyn, Mom sure was something wasn't she? So glad you had such a strong bond with her. I agree that some fruit is hard to find and these are in the markets such a sort time. Of all the plums, I love these the most.
Jan Greenwood says
My family is Yugoslavian …however, my grandmother died when my mother was 7, therefore she didn’t learn any family recipes from her. Please include more from that area. I love to bake and have tried many of your recipes; you have never let me down. Thank you.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Jan, thanks so much for sharing this. My mother was an amazing cook and baker even if I didn't appreciate it growing up. So happy she and my grandmother were there to guide me later on when I got married. Go here for a cookie that was always present at holidays. It is actually German and the story goes my grandfather apprenticed as a tailor in Germany and brought back wonderful recipes. He was also an excellent tailor although I never knew him.
Lynette Pruett says
Hi, Helen. It’s always nice to see a new post from you!
Having no Eastern European heritage, I’ve never even heard of plum dumplings! I always look forward to seeing the Italian blue plums show up in the stores around this time of year, though, since they’re a favorite of mine. I cooked a pork roast over the weekend, so I’ve got the makings of a great meal. I’m always looking for new things to make, and it looks like this will be a fun one!
By the way, I made your Cocoa Brownies in No Time recipe for our annual church picnic yesterday, and they were a real hit, as they always are. I love that recipe, maybe too much, since I always have all of the ingredients in my pantry!
Thanks again for sharing the plum dumpling recipe with such clear instructions along with the great photos.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Lynette - good to hear from you. You will love this. My mother was from the former Yugoslavia and I grew up eating wonderful food from that region.
Germaine says
I confess I did not make this yet, however, I remember my grandmother making these. What a wonderful memory; and how my grandmother and mom loved these treats! I’m sure your recipe is better (in fact there never was a “recipe” and I totally forgot about these dumplings until you published today. Thank you!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Germaine - There are a few steps to these but they are not difficult. I hope you try them and remember your mom and grandmother as you eat them.
Rocky says
Hi!
I did not try these yet but a neighbor in NJ used to make these using apricots.
I ate them but never tried making them. Prune plums are my favorite and I look forward to seeing them in the stores. My dad used to grow them.
Question- any idea if they can be baked? Just wondering how that potato dough would do in the oven.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Rocky, Not well is my thought. These are meant to be boiled. The dough is more like gnocchi but with less potato and more flour.
Sherry B says
Thank you so much for this recipe. My family is Czech and these were made every autumn by my Great-grandmother and Grand-mother. I have several cookbooks and handwritten recipes, but none have ever worked well. The potato flakes may be the ingredient to hold my dough together. They removed the dumplings from the boiling water, drained and rolled them in butter then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. The dumplings were then topped with a dollop of sour cream. Sweet memories!
Helen S Fletcher says
Another way to eat them - wonderful. These truly are a once in a year treat and I wait for the plums to arrive. Happy I could add something to your day.