Apple-Ricotta Dumplings
Rolled in finely chopped hazelnuts , these apple-ricotta dumplings are sur to please dessert-lovers who delight in a unique combination of flavors .
Ingredients
- Dumplings
- Unsalted Butter - 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon, room temp.
- Eggs - 2, beaten
- Semolina - 1/2 cup
- Sweet Crumb - 1 cup (made from ladyfingers, cake, etc.)
- Ricotta cheese - 9 oz.
- Orange Zest - 1 teaspoon, freshly grated
- Lemon zest - 1 teaspoon, freshly grated
- Salt - 1 pinch
- Dark Rum - 1 tablespoon
- Medium Apples - 2, peeled and grated
- Confectioners' Sugar - 1/2 cup
- Hazelnuts - 4 oz., finely chopped
- Garnish
- Strawberry Purée - (recipe follows)
- Blackberry Purée - (recipe follows)
- Fresh mint sprigs
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Confectioners sugar for dusting
Instructions
To prepare the dumplings: In a large mixing bowl, using a whisk or electric mixer, cream butter until very soft. Add eggs and and whip until well mixed. Add semolina and sweet crumbs, then half of ricotta cheese. Mix until smooth, then add last half of ricotta cheese, mixing until smooth again. Add orange zest, lemon zest, salt, and dark rum. Mix well.
Stir in grated apples and powdered sugar. Let batter rest for half an hour and then chill batter for 15 minutes. While batter is chilling, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Remove batter from refrigeration and form dumplings by hand, wetting hands as needed, to form nice, round balls from batter. ( Should be approx. size of a medium apple.) Place dumplings in pot of boiling water. Cover pot and let dumplings cook for 12-15 minutes. Remove dumplings from boiling water and set aside to cool.
To serve: Roll cooled dumplings in hazelnuts, coating well. Decorate serving plate with fruit purees, swirling a bit for pattern. Place dumpling onto plate and garnish with fresh strawberries and blackberries. Add sprigs of mint, then dust dumpling and fruit with confectioner’s sugar.
Strawberry Purée
1 lb. fresh strawberries, stemmed
2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
Purée strawberries in food processor or blender. Place purée in a small bowl and stir in confectioner’s sugar, mixing until blended.
Blackberry Purée
1 cup fresh blackberries, stemmed
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
Purée blackberries in food processor or blender. Place purîe in a small bowl and stir in confectioner’s sugar, mixing until blended.
