German Dumplings Food

GERMAN SPAETZLE DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Mix together flour, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Beat eggs well, and add alternately with the milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.
• Press dough through spaetzle maker, or a large holed sieve or metal grater.
• Drop a few at a time into simmering liquid. Cook 5 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
• Saute cooked spaetzle in butter or margarine. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top, and serve.

GERMAN DUMPLINGS (SPAETZLE OR KNIFFLES) FOR SOUP OR SAUTE

Steps:

• Mix these together until sticky.
• Drop into bubbling soup or stew, broth or water. (see below for ideas).
• Dumplings will rise to the surface as they cook; remove from liquid with a slotted spoon (if sautéing in another pan); set aside in a bowl (keep warm).
• MAKE THE DUMPLINGS #1: This method results in very small, stringy-ish dumplings and is great for soups or stews. Spoon several tablespoons of batter into a colander, then with the back of the spoon--press the batter through the holes into the bubbling liquid.
• METHOD #2: This method forms larger dumpling pieces (dime & quarter size) and is great for soups or stews, too -- but especially good if you want to saute the dumplings afterwards (more on that in a minute). Using a teaspoon and butter knife, scoop up a spoonful of batter, then use the knife to cut off little dibs and dabs, using the knife to also push the dibs into the hot liquid. If the knife or spoon gets messy, just dip into the hot liquid.
• SERVING IDEAS: We love these in chicken-dumpling soup (use your regular chicken soup recipe -- skip the egg noodles and make these dumplings instead). OR scoop out the larger dumplings (Method #2), and saute in butter or olive oil along with kielbasa or other sausage and LOTS of onion ring slices. OR saute some fresh veggies, then add the dumplings -- heaven!
• VARIATIONS: Add several pinches of your favorite herbs along with the flour to enhance the soup, stew or saute dish.
• Chef's Note: Altho' this is kind of putzy, it is well worth the effort and SO different from regular pasta-noodles.

GERMAN DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Note: Handle dough minmally.
• Turn onto floured counter and roll into a log.
• Cut with a floured knife.
• Use salted water for cooking.
• Eat them with a little melted butter on them.
• Yum!

GERMAN DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Reserve bacon in pan with rendered fat.
• In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne and baking powder to combine. Beat eggs and milk together in a small bowl and stir into dry mixture until smooth and uniform.
• Bring 6 cups salted water to a boil in a large pot. Poke holes using a pointed chopstick through the bottom of the aluminum pie pan to create a disposable spaetzle maker. Push the dough through the holes into the boiling water. Stir and cook for 3 minutes, or until dumplings float. Remove dumplings and immediately toss in pan with bacon. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.

SWEET GERMAN DUMPLINGS (DAMPFNUDEL)

Steps:

• To make the dumplings, heat the milk to lukewarm. Be careful not to go any hotter or you risk destroying the yeast. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the dried yeast and leave in a warm place for 10 minutes until bubbles begin to appear on the surface.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, the remaining sugar, egg, melted butter and the yeast mixture. Stir together with a wooden spoon at first, then using your hands once the dough starts to come together in a ball. Tip out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and springy.
• Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with cling film, and leave to rise somewhere warm for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• While the dough is proving, make the vanilla sauce. Put the milk and vanilla seeds in a saucepan and warm gently. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Pour the warm milk onto the egg yolk mixture, whisk everything together, then return the mixture to the pan and heat very gently, stirring all the time, until the mixture thickens. This might take up to 20 minutes over a low heat, so to speed things up, you could slake 2 teaspoons of cornflour with a splash of water, stir together, then add it to the sauce. Keep cooking until it has thickened to your liking.
• When the dough has almost finished proving, prepare the poaching liquid. Put the milk, sugar and butter in a large saucepan or deep sided frying pan, with a tight-fitting lid and heat until the butter has melted and the sugar is dissolved.
• Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape each portion into a ball, being careful to tuck the seams in underneath so you have a smooth top to each ball. Pop the dumplings into the poaching liquid, making sure they are all sitting on the base of the pan with a little space in between each dumpling, and put the lid on and don't remove it for the first 25 minutes of cooking time. Keep the heat low under the pan so the dumplings are poaching. After 25 minutes, check the tops of the dumplings feel firm to the touch, cook for a little longer if you need to, then remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes or until any remaining liquid has evaporated so that the dumplings develop their characteristic golden bases. Pour the vanilla sauce over the dumplings to serve.

GERMAN POTATO DUMPLINGS (KARTOFFELKLOESSE)

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and let cool until easily handled.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add bread cubes; cook and stir until golden brown and crunchy, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer bread to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Reserve the browned butter in the pan.
• Peel potatoes and place them in a large bowl. Mash and season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. Stir in eggs and mash until combined. Add flour; stir just until flour disappears. Do not overmix dough.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a simmer. Dampen hands with water and scoop a spoonful of the dough onto your palm. Shape into a circle, make a light indentation in the center, and place 2 or 3 croutons inside. Roll into a smooth ball, sealing in the croutons. Repeat with remaining dough and croutons.
• Use a large spoon to lower dumplings into the simmering water, one at a time. Cook until they float to the top, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until set, flipping dumplings over halfway, until 20 minutes.
• Place dumplings on a serving plate. Drizzle with reserved browned butter. Crumble remaining croutons on top and garnish with chives. Let dumplings firm up slightly before serving, about 10 minutes.

KNODLES (GERMAN BREAD DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• 1. Put the diced up bread in a bowl. Bring the milk to a boil and pour over the bread. Cover with foil or if you are using a pan, put the lid over the pan for 1 hour.
• 2. Beat the two eggs together in a cup. Add to the bread mixture after the hour is up and also now add the tablespoon of flour and the teaspoon of salt and mix all together. If mixture is too soft, add some breadcrumbs.
• 3. Shape the bread into balls about the size of your palm or about the size of a baseball and drop each ball into a pan of simmering salted water (I just add 1 teas of salt to the water) Put the lid on and leave covered for 20 minutes as it continues to simmer. NEVER LIFT THE LID during the cooking time.
• 4. Take dumplings out of the water and serve with your favorite gravy over them. This will make 6 or 7 dumplings.

GERMAN POTATO DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain; transfer to a large bowl., Mash potatoes. Stir in flour, eggs, bread crumbs, salt and nutmeg. Shape into sixteen (2-in.) balls., In a Dutch oven, bring 12 cups water to a boil. Carefully add dumplings. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 7-9 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of dumplings comes out clean., Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan, heat butter and onion over medium heat. Heat 5-7 minutes or until butter is golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in bread crumbs. Serve with dumplings.