Our baby son is turning six months today - well, not really, as he was born on New Year's Eve. But it would be unfair not to celebrate just because it's a short month, so happy birthday, Max! No post on birthday cakes, though, as we've only just managed parsnip, squash and sweet potato puree so far; maybe he would have accepted solids earlier if I had offered chocolate cake, silly me... If he's anything like his Mum that should have done the trick!!!
I apologise for posting yet another dish involving rhubarb and strawberries, but you need to make the most of it while they are in season, so here goes another typically Austrian dessert - Topfenknödel. My Mum made these for us when we were in Austria just recently and I thoroughly enjoyed them. Mum did all the hard work and I just came in to eat and take pictures... but I will try them again soon!
Topfen is Austrian for German Quark, I have found quark in supermarkets here in the UK, it is sometimes labelled "curd". Failing that you could use ricotta, but you will have to experiment a bit as ricotta is wetter and less tightly packed than our Topfen. Also, Topfen exists with varying amounts of fat content and the one used in the recipe below is virtually fat free.
The dough for the Knoedel or dumplings is really versatile, you can stuff it with various fruits, firm favourites being apricots (take out the stone and replace it with a sugar cube), plums (same procedure), strawberries, poppyseeds or, if you're really indulging, chocolate. I shall be posting a recipe for the poppyseed dumplings some time, when I can find some really ripe and juicy plums to serve them with...
Sweet curd dumplings with rhubarb-strawberry compote (Topfenknödel)
(serves 4)
400 g virtually fat free Topfen/Quark/curd/ricotta
120 g old brioche
30 g butter (at room temperature)
1 vanilla bean
30 g caster sugar
1 egg
1 yolk
salt
(grated lemon and orange zest - optional)
to roll the dumplings:
50 g butter
80 g old brioche
10 g caster sugar
icing sugar to serve
for the compote:
70 g caster sugar
500 g rhubarb
250 ml orange juice
1 cinnamon stick
350 g strawberries
1-2 tsp corn flour or thickening granules
(Takes 1 hr 15 minutes to prepare, plus 2 hrs resting - but easy to prepare ahead)
Strain the curd by placing it on a clean kitchen towel and expressing as much superfluous liquid as possible. Put the brioche in a food processor and produce fine crumbs. Split open the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Mix the butter and the sugar in a large bowl, add the curd, egg, egg yolk, vanilla seeds and the crumbs. (Add the zest here, if using). Leave to rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Prepare the crumbs for rolling the dumplings in: melt the butter in a pan, add the sugar and crumbs and fry over a medium heat until golden brown. If lumps form, be sure to separate them by simply rubbing them between your hands after cooling.
For the compote clean the rhubarb and cut into 3-4 cm sticks. Caramelise 60 g of the sugar in a pan, add the orange juice to deglaze, then add the rhubarb and cinnamon. Leave to cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes until soft. Lift the rhubarb with a slotted spoon and reserve in a bowl. Wash and dry the strawberries, cut in quarters and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bring the sauce to a boil and add the thickening granules or dissolve the corn flour in some water and add to the mixture. Boil enough for the sauce to thicken slightly. Remove the cinnamon stick. Pour over the rhubarb and add the strawberries.
When you're ready to serve, heat some salt water in a big pot, the dumplings will need space to roam. Wet your hands and form the dough into 12 even dumplings (balls). Add to the simmering water, turn down the heat and leave to cook for around 10 minutes until they return to the surface. Lift with a slotted spoon, roll in the crumbs mixture, dust with icing sugar and serve with the compote.
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