German Dumplings Recipes

GERMAN DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Reserve bacon in pan with rendered fat.
• In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne and baking powder to combine. Beat eggs and milk together in a small bowl and stir into dry mixture until smooth and uniform.
• Bring 6 cups salted water to a boil in a large pot. Poke holes using a pointed chopstick through the bottom of the aluminum pie pan to create a disposable spaetzle maker. Push the dough through the holes into the boiling water. Stir and cook for 3 minutes, or until dumplings float. Remove dumplings and immediately toss in pan with bacon. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.

GERMAN DUMPLINGS (SPAETZLE OR KNIFFLES) FOR SOUP OR SAUTE

Steps:

• Mix these together until sticky.
• Drop into bubbling soup or stew, broth or water. (see below for ideas).
• Dumplings will rise to the surface as they cook; remove from liquid with a slotted spoon (if sautéing in another pan); set aside in a bowl (keep warm).
• MAKE THE DUMPLINGS #1: This method results in very small, stringy-ish dumplings and is great for soups or stews. Spoon several tablespoons of batter into a colander, then with the back of the spoon--press the batter through the holes into the bubbling liquid.
• METHOD #2: This method forms larger dumpling pieces (dime & quarter size) and is great for soups or stews, too -- but especially good if you want to saute the dumplings afterwards (more on that in a minute). Using a teaspoon and butter knife, scoop up a spoonful of batter, then use the knife to cut off little dibs and dabs, using the knife to also push the dibs into the hot liquid. If the knife or spoon gets messy, just dip into the hot liquid.
• SERVING IDEAS: We love these in chicken-dumpling soup (use your regular chicken soup recipe -- skip the egg noodles and make these dumplings instead). OR scoop out the larger dumplings (Method #2), and saute in butter or olive oil along with kielbasa or other sausage and LOTS of onion ring slices. OR saute some fresh veggies, then add the dumplings -- heaven!
• VARIATIONS: Add several pinches of your favorite herbs along with the flour to enhance the soup, stew or saute dish.
• Chef's Note: Altho' this is kind of putzy, it is well worth the effort and SO different from regular pasta-noodles.

GERMAN POTATO DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain; transfer to a large bowl., Mash potatoes. Stir in flour, eggs, bread crumbs, salt and nutmeg. Shape into sixteen (2-in.) balls., In a Dutch oven, bring 12 cups water to a boil. Carefully add dumplings. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 7-9 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of dumplings comes out clean., Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan, heat butter and onion over medium heat. Heat 5-7 minutes or until butter is golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in bread crumbs. Serve with dumplings.

ANNA'S GERMAN DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Place the milk and salt in a saucepan, and set over medium heat. In a small bowl, mix together 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour and water. When the milk begins to bubble, stir in the flour mixture, and cook stirring constantly until thickened, 2 or 3 minutes. Let cool until set. You can put the mixture in the refrigerator to speed the process.
• Fold the eggs into the chilled dough. Add 1 cup of flour and mix thoroughly (dough will be lumpy). Drop into simmering soups by the teaspoonful. Simmer covered for 10 minutes, remove lid, and simmer 10 minutes more.

GERMAN SPAETZLE DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Mix together flour, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Beat eggs well, and add alternately with the milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.
• Press dough through spaetzle maker, or a large holed sieve or metal grater.
• Drop a few at a time into simmering liquid. Cook 5 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
• Saute cooked spaetzle in butter or margarine. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top, and serve.

SEMMELKNöDEL (GERMAN BREAD DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Chop the hardened bread into small cubes and place them in a large bowl. Pour the hot milk over the bread, cover and let sit for 20-30 minutes or until softened.
• Heat the butter in a frying pan and cook the onions just until transparent, do not brown them. Add the cooked onions to the bread mixture along with the eggs, cooked bacon (if using), parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Knead the mixture together with your hands until very thoroughly combined, breaking up as many of the bread cubes as you can until it's a soft and chunky-smooth consistency. If the dough is too wet, add breadcrumbs (not flour).
• Wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking and form Knödel about the size of a tennis ball (they will expand slightly when cooked). Press the Knoedel between your palms to make sure they're nice and compact. Bring a large, wide pot of lightly salted water to a very light simmer - not boiling but just on the verge of boiling with tiny fizzy bubbles floating up. Carefully drop the Semmel Knoedel in the water and let them "steep" 15-20 minutes. Do not at any point let the water boil or you risk your Knödel losing shape or falling apart. Carefully lift them out with a slotted spoon. Serve with Rouladen, Sauerbraten, Senfbraten, Geschnetzeltes, Jaegerschnitzel, etc.
• To Freeze The Knödel: Let them cool completely, place them spread apart on a cookie sheet and freeze them, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container. To reheat, let them thaw and reheat them covered (to create some steam) in the microwave.
• Makes 6-7 Semmelknödel, depending on the size.

GERMAN DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Note: Handle dough minmally.
• Turn onto floured counter and roll into a log.
• Cut with a floured knife.
• Use salted water for cooking.
• Eat them with a little melted butter on them.
• Yum!

GERMAN SPAETZLE DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, and nutmeg.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add eggs. Scramble the eggs slightly with a fork, mixing them with the flour mixture. Add the water, a little at a time, mixing until a soft dough forms. (Your dough should be somewhere between a drop biscuit dough and a stiff muffin batter. It should be spoon-able, but not pour-able.)
• Cover the dough loosely with a tea towel and set it aside to rest for 15 minutes.
• While dough is resting, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil with 2 tsp salt. (You can add 1 Tbsp of oil to your water if you would like, to keep the cooked Spaetzle from sticking together. If you will be sautéing your Spaetzle after boiling, this is not necessary.)
• Scoop your rested batter into your Spaetzle pressing tool. (Any metal kitchen gadget with holes roughly the diameter of a pencil will work well. Don't have anything? Grab a cutting board and a spatula and check out this recipe for making Spaetzle using the board cutting method.)
• Press the Spaetzle dough through the press into the boiling water. Once the Spaetzle bobs to the top of the water, it is done. Remove it using a slotted spoon. (But, not the one you're using to press the Spaetzle dough!)
• Place the boiled Spaetzle into a bowl and continue with the rest of the dough.
• Serve immediately.

SWEET GERMAN DUMPLINGS (DAMPFNUDEL)

Steps:

• To make the dumplings, heat the milk to lukewarm. Be careful not to go any hotter or you risk destroying the yeast. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the dried yeast and leave in a warm place for 10 minutes until bubbles begin to appear on the surface.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, the remaining sugar, egg, melted butter and the yeast mixture. Stir together with a wooden spoon at first, then using your hands once the dough starts to come together in a ball. Tip out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and springy.
• Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with cling film, and leave to rise somewhere warm for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• While the dough is proving, make the vanilla sauce. Put the milk and vanilla seeds in a saucepan and warm gently. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Pour the warm milk onto the egg yolk mixture, whisk everything together, then return the mixture to the pan and heat very gently, stirring all the time, until the mixture thickens. This might take up to 20 minutes over a low heat, so to speed things up, you could slake 2 teaspoons of cornflour with a splash of water, stir together, then add it to the sauce. Keep cooking until it has thickened to your liking.
• When the dough has almost finished proving, prepare the poaching liquid. Put the milk, sugar and butter in a large saucepan or deep sided frying pan, with a tight-fitting lid and heat until the butter has melted and the sugar is dissolved.
• Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape each portion into a ball, being careful to tuck the seams in underneath so you have a smooth top to each ball. Pop the dumplings into the poaching liquid, making sure they are all sitting on the base of the pan with a little space in between each dumpling, and put the lid on and don't remove it for the first 25 minutes of cooking time. Keep the heat low under the pan so the dumplings are poaching. After 25 minutes, check the tops of the dumplings feel firm to the touch, cook for a little longer if you need to, then remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes or until any remaining liquid has evaporated so that the dumplings develop their characteristic golden bases. Pour the vanilla sauce over the dumplings to serve.

GERMAN POTATO DUMPLINGS (KARTOFFELKLößE)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks.
• Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover them with salted water, and bring them to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium; cover the pan and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Drain well.
• Rice the potatoes and spread them out on a large baking sheet or waxed paper; let them cool for about 30 minutes or until completely cooled. You should have about 6 cups (800 grams) of riced potatoes.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, prepare the potato dumpling dough. In a large mixing bowl, toss the cooled riced potatoes with the potato starch, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the nutmeg.
• Add the beaten eggs to the potato mixture and gently mix with your hands to form the dough. Avoid overmixing.
• Shape the dough into about 12 firm 2-inch dumplings, about 3 ounces each.
• With a slotted spoon, place the dumplings in the boiling water.
• When the dumplings float to the top, turn the heat to low, just enough to maintain a simmer. Cover the pan and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Make sure the water is not at a rolling boil as it could cause the dumplings to fall apart.
• Remove the dumplings to a bowl; drizzle with melted butter, and sprinkle lightly with salt to taste.
• Serve potato dumplings with buttered breadcrumbs, freshly ground black pepper, and/or parsley, as desired.