Zwetschgenknödel are plum dumplings made in Germany.
The dough is made of flour, baking powder, egg, salt and milk. Some variations add mashed potato to the dough.
The dough is rolled out to ¼ to ½ inch (½ to 1 cm) thick, and cut into large pieces.
Zwetschgen (Prune Plums) are washed and pitted, but left otherwise whole. Each one is stuffed with a sugar cube. Each plum is then tucked inside a piece of dough, which is sealed around it.
They are then cooked in simmering water until they start to float. Sometimes they are baked instead of being simmered in water, in which case they are called “Gebackene (baked) Zwetschgenknödel.”
They are served with a topping, either a savoury one, such as breadcrumbs or onion fried and browned in butter, or a sweet one, such as cinnamon sugar.
Language Notes
“Zwetschgen” is the name of the variety of plums used; “Knödel” means “dumplings.”