Pumpkin curd dumplings

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 200 g low-fat curd cheese, well drained
• 200 g puree (pumpkin puree), preferably dry, from a floury pumpkin (e.g. Hokkaido or Butternut)*
• 75 g semolina
• 75 g bread roll(s), finely diced, or breadcrumbs
• 50 g butter, soft
• 1 tbsp, levelled sugar, if you like it very sweet, use more sugar
• 2 m.-sized eggs
• 1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
• 1 pinch of salt
• ½ vanilla pod(s), including the pulp
• 50 g butter
• 8 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp, levelled sugar

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

The pumpkin gives the dumplings color and its mild aroma

Mix all ingredients, from quark to vanilla seeds, well and let stand for about 30 minutes to allow the dough to thicken slightly. In the meantime, bring a large pot of water with a little salt to a boil. Then, with wet hands, form the dough into about 8 equal-sized dumplings. If the dough is too runny and difficult to shape, add a little more semolina and/or breadcrumbs. Carefully lower the dumplings into the water and simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Melt the butter in a shallow pan and toast the breadcrumbs and sugar; they should be golden brown but not burnt. Remove the dumplings from the water, drain well, and roll them in the sugar crumbs. For dessert, I allow two dumplings per person; for a sweet main course, I use three to four. Plum compote goes perfectly with the dish, both in terms of taste and appearance. *Note on the pumpkin puree: I make it during the season. To do this, I boil a whole pumpkin for about 20-30 minutes until soft, let it cool, peel it (not necessary with Hokkaido), cut it into sections, and remove the seeds. Then I puree it and freeze it in portions.