Mastering the art of homemade strawberry dumplings

Although I sometimes indulge in dumplings at a restaurant, I've never had any better than the ones my mom makes. She has tremendous experience in preparing this dish. Everyone in the family loves dumplings. That's why, in the fall and winter, she prepares the savoury version, and from spring onward, it's time for fruit fillings, with strawberries being the first to appear.

Strawberry dumplings are one of the best seasonal dishes. You can only enjoy them in spring and summer because frozen fruits don't have the same effect. For some, it's a dessert, and for others, it's a light sweet meal. I asked my mom for a few details about this delicious dish. It all starts with choosing the right fruits. They should be sweet and juicy but not overripe. It's best to choose small and medium-sized ones. Larger ones are good to cut in half. The fruits should be rinsed and dried. The next step is kneading the dough. It's important to plan for dumplings because the finished dough needs to rest.

The recipe for dumplings is simple, and according to my mom, it's better not to change anything in it. Flour, warm water, and a pinch of salt are the basics. However, when the dumplings are filled with fruit, it's worth adding an egg and butter. Then the dough is softer and more elastic, making it easier to enclose even a large amount of fruit. The dough for dumplings requires patience; although it is made quickly, it must rest afterward. You need to set it aside, cover it, and wait half an hour. This is necessary for it to gain moisture, which makes it more elastic and easier to roll out. Then, you tear off small portions from the dough and roll them into small discs. Another way is to roll out a larger sheet and cut out circles, for example, with a glass.

Prepared strawberries for the dumplings should be transferred to a bowl and mixed with sugar. This way, the fruits will be evenly sweet. My mom always uses regular sugar, but you can also use powdered sugar or add a bit of vanilla sugar. Some people also like to season the fruits with cinnamon. You can also combine strawberries with farmer's cheese. There are many versions, but the simplest one is the most loved in my house. You should always be very careful when sealing the dumplings to make sure none of the juice escapes during cooking.

For cooking the dumplings, you should prepare a large, preferably quite flat pot. They should float freely. Drop them into salted boiling water and stir gently right away to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. Cook them for a few minutes, until they float to the surface, and then scoop them out with a slotted spoon. After transferring them to a plate, it's also a good idea to pour off any remaining water. They taste best simply with sour cream.

Ingredients:

                
• approximately 1 kilogram of strawberries,
• 1 kilogram of flour,
• 1 cup of warm water,
• 1 egg,
• 2 tablespoons of oil or melted butter,
• a pinch of salt,
• a few tablespoons of sugar to taste,
• cinnamon, vanilla sugar (optional, to taste),
• sour cream for serving.

Preparation Method:

            
1. Sift the flour, add a pinch of salt, egg, and fat, then gradually add water and knead the dough until it's elastic.
2. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. Select, rinse, and dry the strawberries. Cut them into smaller pieces and mix with sugar.
4. Transfer the dough to a board and roll it out. Cut out circles for the dumplings with a cup, or tear off small pieces, form into balls, and roll out into small discs.
5. Fill the discs with strawberries and then seal them.
6. Cook the dumplings in salted boiling water until they float to the surface (about 3 minutes).
7. Serve strawberry dumplings with a serving of sour cream.