Czech Fruit Dumplings with Sweet Cheese
Czech Fruit Dumplings
Soft Czech fruit dumplings filled with ripe seasonal fruit and served warm with melted butter, sugar, and sweet farmer cheese.
Czech fruit dumplings are a gentle, home-style dessert built around soft dough and ripe fruit. They are often made when plums, apricots, strawberries, or blueberries are in season, then served as a sweet main course or a generous dessert.
This version uses a potato and farmer cheese dough, which stays tender without becoming heavy. The potatoes should be cooked, cooled, and finely mashed so they blend smoothly with the cheese, egg, and flour; too much flour makes the dumplings tough, so add only what the dough needs to hold together.
The fruit goes into the center of each round of dough and steams inside as the dumplings simmer. Small whole plums or apricots work beautifully, but halved fruit or large strawberries are easier to wrap neatly and cook evenly.
The finish is simple and important: hot dumplings are split or left whole, then topped with melted butter, powdered sugar, and grated sweet farmer cheese. A pinch of cinnamon or a spoonful of toasted breadcrumbs is optional, but the butter and cheese are what make the dish taste complete.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
-
1
Press the cooled potatoes through a ricer or mash them very finely into a large bowl, making sure there are no firm lumps.
-
2
Add the farmer cheese, egg, and salt, then mix with a fork until the cheese is evenly distributed through the potatoes.
-
3
Add 1 1/2 cups flour and stir until a soft dough forms. If the dough is very sticky, knead in the remaining flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it can be handled without clinging heavily to your fingers.
-
4
Bring a wide pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Lightly flour the work surface and divide the dough into 18 equal pieces.
-
5
Flatten one piece of dough into a 3-inch round. Place a piece of fruit in the center, adding a small pinch of granulated sugar if the fruit is tart, then bring the dough up around it and pinch the seams closed.
-
6
Roll the dumpling gently between your palms to seal it into a smooth ball. Repeat with the remaining dough and fruit, keeping the shaped dumplings on a lightly floured tray.
-
7
Lower the dumplings into the gently boiling water in batches so they have room to move. Stir once to prevent sticking, then cook until they float and the dough feels set, about 8 to 10 minutes per batch.
-
8
Lift the dumplings out with a slotted spoon and let them drain briefly. Transfer them to warm plates while you cook the remaining batches.
-
9
Melt the butter in a small saucepan until hot and fragrant but not browned. Spoon the butter over the warm dumplings.
-
10
Finish each serving with powdered sugar, grated farmer cheese, and a light dusting of cinnamon if desired. Serve immediately while the dumplings are soft and warm.
Ingredients
- Russet Potatoes, cooked, peeled, and cooled:1 1/2 lb
- Farmer Cheese or Dry Curd Cottage Cheese:8 oz
- Large Egg:1
- Fine Sea Salt:1/2 tsp
- All-Purpose Flour:1 3/4 cups
- Seasonal Fruit, such as small plums, apricots, strawberries, or blueberries:18 pieces
- Granulated Sugar, for filling tart fruit:2 tbsp
- Unsalted Butter:6 tbsp
- Powdered Sugar:1/2 cup
- Farmer Cheese, grated or crumbled, for serving:6 oz
- Ground Cinnamon:1/2 tsp
Tips & Notes
- Use starchy potatoes and let them cool fully before mixing the dough; warm potatoes can absorb too much flour.
- If using large plums or apricots, halve and pit them before wrapping so the dumplings cook evenly.
- Keep the water at a gentle boil rather than a rolling boil so the dumplings do not split.
- Leftover dumplings can be reheated gently in a steamer or sliced and warmed in butter in a skillet.
