mein haus IS su casa: Hefeklosse

Hello,
So here I go . . . . .
I've been talking about blogging for a while and today is the day I begin.
Welcome to my journey and I hope we all enjoy the trip.

Hefeklosse is one of my favorite dishes, my mom made them for us every fall when the plums were ripe. I grew up only thinking of them as the plums from the tree in the back yard, I have since learned that they are Italian plums. So, now I make hefeklosse twice a year, once when the plums are just ripe (because I've been waiting all year and can't wait any longer) and again when the plums are a little over ripe, when they're at the peak of their flavor. You take a yummy plum and wrap it in a yeast dough, then when they're cooked, sprinkle it with sugar and pour browned butter over the top. My mouth is watering just writing the description ANNNNNNND I just ate them last night for dinner.

Let's begin. . .

Mix sugar, yeast & warm water in a small bowl, set it aside to ferment while you're mixing the other ingredients

Next mix egg, butter, milk & salt, I put everything in a mixing bowl and mix with a pastry hook. Add the fermented yeast mixture, once mixed, slowly add flour until you have a soft dough. (Side note: I love my stand mixer!! I think everyone who likes to cook should get a stand mixer & food processor. I didn't get mine until I was into my 40's and I realized what I had been missing out on- just sayin). Knead until the dough is smooth & elastic. This is where the pastry hook comes in handy, I used to knead until my arms felt like they were going to fall off, then I'd let the dough rise and - well, it didn't, well not very well.

When your dough is ready, cover it and let it rest

While the dough is resting, remove the seeds from the plums

Let the dough rise for about an hour, until double in size. Divide the dough in half, then each portion in half again, then in half again, eight pieces in all. On floured surface, flatten (one at a time) place a plum in the center, sprinkle with a little sugar, then pinch the ends together to seal. Use both hands and form a ball, then roll in flour and set aside. Repeat the process with each piece of dough

OK - now we're ready to cook. If you have a pot with a steamer you can use it or if you have a wide mouth pot, you can stretch a tea towel over the top and tie it with twine. ( Make sure ends don't hang down and catch on fire).

Put water in pot 1/3 - 1/2 full and bring to a boil (If you put the lid on the pot, the water boils faster)

Once the water in boiling, turn heat down to medium place hefeklosse ( in a single layer) on steamer or towel, cover pot with lid and steam approximately 20 minutes. Check after 20 minutes, they should be firm and not doughy. They may not all fit, if not just cook in two batches. Remove from steamer and place on heated plate, keep them warm while the next batch cooks or eat the first batch while the second cooks.

While they're steaming, put 1 stick of butter in a pan, you need to brown the butter. Which means to melt it and then let the little particles in it turn brown, you'll know that it's done by the look and also by the wonderful aroma.

To serve:

Place a Hefeklosse on plate and sprinkle with sugar, I use 1 -2 Tablespoons, adjust it to your taste, you can always add a little more once you've tasted it.