Pear Dumpling (Birne Kloesse)

Ingredients

• 1/2 loaf Stale white bread, crust removed
• 1 cup Butter or vegetable shortening (Originally suet. Substituted with butter or vegetable shortening.)
• 1 cup All-purpose flour
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground cinnamon (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
• 1 pound Prunes
• 1 pound Pears, peeled and cored
• 1 cup Brown sugar
• 2 Cinnamon sticks
• 2 tablespoons Claret (or dry red wine)
• 4 cups Cold water (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))

Instructions

1. 1Soak the white part of the bread in cold water, then squeeze out excess water. Grate the crust. In a bowl, combine the soaked bread, butter or shortening, flour, egg, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder. Mix well until a dough forms.
2. 2Shape the dough into a dumpling. Place the dumpling on a small plate. In a large kettle, arrange the prunes and pears around the dumpling. Sprinkle with brown sugar, and add the cinnamon sticks.
3. 3Pour in the claret and cold water to almost cover the ingredients. Cover the kettle tightly and simmer for 4 hours, or until the dumpling is cooked through and the pears are tender. Serve hot.