Germknödel is a traditional Austrian dish that has become very popular in Croatia during the winter period. What would be considered more a Croatian version are potato dumplings, but the ones made with yeast have found their way into Croatian cuisine and become a staple. Due to its history, Croatian cuisine is a mixture of various cuisines. You will find a lot of Austrian dishes adopted into national Croatian cuisine. Germknödel are the perfect treat for a cold winter’s day!
These dumplings are typically filled with plum jam, but you can also use berry jam. Traditionally they have been served with melted butter, but today’s varieties include vanilla sauce and a sprinkle of poppy seeds and powdered sugar on top. The delicious Germknödel can be eaten as a dessert or as a main dish. In Croatia sometimes it is common to eat a sweet dish not only as a dessert but also as a main course. For example, Croatians typically eat potato dumplings with sour cream on top and sprinkled with fried breadcrumbs and sugar.
For 8 dumplings you will need:
- 500 g flour
- 7 g dry yeast
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 150 ml milk
- 100 ml water
- 2 eggs
- 50 g butter
- plum or berry jam (roughly 8 tablespoons)
For the vanilla sauce you will need:
- 625 ml milk
- 37 g cornstarch
- 5 tbsp sugar
- seeds from 1 vanilla bean pod
You will also need:
- 50 g poppy seeds
- 50 g powdered sugar, sifted
- Prepare the dough: combine all ingredients in your standing mixer or in a bowl and knead until you form a smooth but soft ball of dough. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal parts and roll each one out (you can do this using your hands) into a size of your palm. Put 1 tablespoon of jam in the middle, brush the sides with water so that they can be sealed properly and form into a round dumpling. Place each formed dumpling onto lightly floured surface.
- Cover them with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for about 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, heat a large pot of water, until boiling. Add a pinch of salt into it. When risen, let the dumplings simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on. Do not take the lid off, otherwise, the dumplings will not rise properly.
- When finished, take the Germknödel out of the water. It’s time to make vanilla sauce. Combine cornstarch with a little bit of milk. Heat the rest of the milk with sugar and vanilla beans until it boils. Then add cornstarch and cook until it thickens. It should still be slightly runny, not too thick.
- Combine poppy seeds and sifted powdered sugar.
- Place the dumplings onto a plate, cover them with the sauce and sprinkle with poppy seeds and powdered sugar mixture. Serve immediately.
