Pear Dumpling (Birne Kloesse)
This comforting Pear Dumpling recipe, adapted from a historical cookbook, offers a unique blend of sweet and savory flavors. The dumplings, simmered with pears, prunes, and warm spices, create a rich and satisfying dish. The combination of tender dumplings, juicy fruit, and a hint of claret makes this a perfect dessert for a cozy evening. Serve it hot for a truly delightful experience.
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.