Slivkové gule: Slovak plum dumplings with cinnamon

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1. Wash the potatoes and boil them in their skins in salted water. Let them cool until easy to handle, then peel and grate them into a large bowl. Wash the plums thoroughly and cut them in half.

2. Remove the plum pits and fill each cavity with a little cinnamon and about 1/4 tsp powdered sugar. While the sugar and cinnamon soak into the plums, make the potato dough in the bowl or on a floured board. Add the egg and the flour mixed with salt to the potatoes and knead, adding the flour gradually so the dough does not become too stiff.

3. Use less flour for more tender dumplings. With floured hands, shape the dough into balls about the size of a walnut. Flatten each into a round as thin as possible and place a plum half in the center. Roll between your palms in a circular motion to enclose the plum in an even layer of dough. Place the finished dumplings on a floured surface or plate.

4. Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add all the dumplings, stir gently, and wait for the water to return to a boil. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for about 5 minutes from the time the dumplings begin to float to the surface. Drain the cooked dumplings or lift them out with a spoon.

Tip: Lift the cooked dumplings out with a slotted spoon and immediately transfer them to a bowl of melted butter to keep them from sticking together. Toast the breadcrumbs over low heat, as they will turn bitter if burned.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Slivkové gule zo zemiakového cesta so škoricou