Apricot dumplings with vanilla sauce

Mmm, apricot dumplings! Few sweet dishes from the Alpine region are as delicious as this one: “Marillenknödel.” Made with just a few simple ingredients—curd cheese, butter, egg, and flour—these dumplings feature a tender dough. Filled with luscious apricots (or “marillen,” as they are called in southern Germany and Austria) and sprinkled with crispy, fried breadcrumbs, the dumplings feature a superior mouthfeel that adds to the delight, as texture enhances the taste. For an even more flavorful experience, top the dumplings with vanilla sauce and serve an unparalleled Alpine delicacy.

1. First, place the quark or curd cheese in a linen cloth or nut milk bag, then either squeeze it or let it drain (380–400 g actual weight).

2. In a large bowl, beat together a large egg yolk and 70 g of softened butter until well combined.

3. Gently fold in the squeezed quark and 170 g of flour, then knead the mixture thoroughly. Allow the dough to rest for a few hours, preferably overnight, so that the flour can absorb the moisture properly.

4. Pit the apricots and fill them with sugar cubes (or vanilla sugar).

5. Shape the dough into a roll and divide it into 18 equal pieces.

6. Roll out the dough pieces to about 1 cm thick and wrap each filled apricot with a piece of dough.

7. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly. Add 2 pinches of salt and the dumplings. Cook the dumplings in gently simmering water (with only very tiny bubbles) for 15 minutes. When the dumplings float to the top, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.

8. Melt the butter in a pan, then add the breadcrumbs and brown them.

9. Sprinkle the cooked dumplings with the breadcrumbs and roll them in the crumbs.

10. Pour two-thirds of the milk into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 250 ml of milk with sugar, egg yolk, and starch. Scrape the pulp from half a vanilla pod and stir it into the cold mixture.

11. Once the milk comes to a boil, remove from the heat and stir in the egg yolk, starch, and milk mixture. Return the saucepan to the heat and bring the vanilla sauce to a boil, stirring constantly until it thickens. (You can prepare the vanilla sauce in advance. Since the recipe does not include cream, the sauce will remain fresh in the refrigerator for at least three days if stored in a clean screw-top jar.)

12. Place three dumplings on each plate and drizzle the vanilla sauce over them.