Szilvásgombóc (Hungarian plum-filled potato dumplings)

It's funny the things you remember from your childhood. For me, I specifically recall all my favorite foods as well as the ones I disliked or outright hated. Szilvásgombóc fell into the category of foods I was apathetic about. I didn't hate them, but I also didn't love them or request them like other family members. I guess it was because the dumplings didn't fit my definition of dessert, but that's because they're not actually considered a dessert despite being somewhat sweet. Szilvásgombóc are considered a main dish when served after a hearty Sunday soup.

So, what are szilvásgombóc? They're potato dumplings that encapsulate fresh prune plums that have been pitted and stuffed with a combination of cinnamon and sugar. After the dumplings have been boiled, they're tossed in a toasted breadcrumb mixture seasoned with more cinnamon-sugar. The dumplings are served warm, dusted with powdered sugar and any remaining breadcrumbs. That's it! And for sounding so simple, they're not actually that simple to make. They're what we would call a "macerás" dish, meaning they require some intricacy, some practice.

I remember my mom and my aunt (my mom's sister) would prepare szilvásgombóc for us kids. It always involved boiling the right type of potatoes, using the right-size plums, making sure the dough wasn't too sticky or too dry, forming the dumplings so that they wouldn't burst during the second boiling, then tossing them in the seasoned breadcrumbs as quickly as possible so as to get them on the table while they're still hot, to satiate the kids. See why we call them macerás?

All the kids (other than me) loved them. We called them "gumballs," even though we could have just tried to pronounce their name correctly, but maybe it was funnier to call them by a made-up moniker. It wasn't until many years later into adulthood that I really started appreciating szilvásgombóc, and all the effort that went into making them. Not only that, but they're also seasonal. You can only make them in late summer when prune plums are available. If you were lucky, you got to eat them at most a couple of times between August and September. Seasonality makes me appreciate them even more!



In recent years, I've requested my mom make szilvásgombóc so that I could observe her very attentively and learn how to make them myself, by feel. It's no different than making gnocchi or pasta from scratch. The recipe will never be the same, because there are always variables: The humidity in the air will be different, the potatoes may be starchier or moister, the flour will be different from region to region, brand to brand. So, I will give you the ratios that I use, but please use your intuition when making szilvásgombóc. That's really the best way to prepare them!

Szilvásgombóc (Hungarian plum-filled potato dumplings)

Note: I recommend using the smallest prune plums you can find. In Hungary, the Besztercei variety is often used to make szilvásgombóc.

2 pounds (about 1 kilogram) Yukon gold potatoes
salt
8 tablespoons butter
1 cup (about 100 grams) whole-wheat breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
powdered sugar
1 pound (about 500 grams, 25 count) prune plums
cubed sugar
2 cups (about 250 grams) all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk

Bring the whole, skin-on potatoes to a boil in liberally salted water. Cook them until knife tender. Cooking time will vary depending on size. For the large potatoes I use, I'd recommend at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet. Add the breadcrumbs and toast until they've turned a nutty brown. Spread the toasted breadcrumbs out onto a platter or rectangular dish to cool. Add 1 tablespoon cinnamon and a good dusting of powdered sugar; mix. Set aside for assembly.

Pit the plums, and fill each with a sugar cube rolled in the remaining tablespoon of cinnamon. Close each plum tightly around the sugar cube and set aside onto a plate.

Peel the potatoes while still somewhat hot. Rice them immediately onto a board. Spread out the riced potatoes to cool just a bit more. Next, dust over with half to a third of the flour. Add the egg yolk and the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Work everything together into a dough. Your mixture will likely be too light and soft, so you'll need to add more flour. Add half of the remaining flour, and work it into the dough. Try to use less flour than you think you actually need.

Now your dough should be easier to handle, like a nice mass, but still feel light. Use any remaining flour to dust your board in preparation for rolling out the dough. Also, dust the top of the dough to aid in rolling. Roll the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut the dough into 3-by-3-inch squares, but this will depend on the size of the plums.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt liberally, and then lower to a simmer until you're ready to cook the dumplings.

To form a dumpling, add a sugar-filled plum to the center of one of the squares of dough, gathering up all four corners, then firmly but lightly press the dough into a ball shape, and finish by rolling it between your palms. Set each formed dumpling aside on a plate. Keep forming the dumplings until you've got all of them made. And, make sure that you don't put them to close to one another as they can stick.

Now, you're ready to boil the dumplings. I like to do this in two batches. Bring the simmering water back up to a boil while adding the dumplings, one at a time. While the first batch cooks, you can finish forming the second batch of dumplings.

The dumplings are cooked when they float to the top, which should take between 5 to 7 minutes. But I like to leave them floating at the top for 1 to 2 minutes extra until their exteriors turn a bit "furry" as my mom calls it. This texture will help the breadcrumb coating adhere easier.

I recommend getting the cooked dumplings coated in the toasted breadcrumbs soon, because the cooler the dumplings get, the less of the coating will want to adhere. This is a good opportunity for a kitchen helper. While one person is tending to the boiling of the dumplings, the other can get them coated in the breadcrumbs.

In my family's case, the dumplings were brought out to the table as soon as they were coated, so they were never really delivered all at once. But, I like to finish them all before serving, but that also means some may get cold, and many people like them warm or piping hot.

If you decide to serve the dumplings all at once, it's a good idea to keep them warm in a low oven. Make sure you're using an oven-safe platter or baking dish for serving the dumpling so you can just take them from the oven to the table without having to transfer them, and risk them popping and leaking.

Enjoy the plum dumplings with the remaining toasted breadcrumbs and powdered sugar!