Who among us has not turned to food, and more specifically to desserts, as an effective way to stave off the gloom of a rainy day or a bad mood, or to pamper ourselves when we have worked hard and want to celebrate and reward our effort? Whether with a bar of chocolate from the corner shop, or a pastry from the local bakery, it’s all too easy to reach for the sweets when seeking comfort.
However, there are few things as satisfying as devouring a dessert you’ve made yourself. And I know that I can speak for many of our readers when I say that the process of combining ingredients, kneading dough, watching the alchemy that takes place, just as a composer combines sounds, chords, and tonalities, is an extremely joyful and fulfilling process, ending in pure satisfaction when we achieve the much-anticipated result. That is why I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite recipes – dampfnudeln. This traditional German-Austrian dessert, which literally translates to “steamed pasta”, is extremely easy to prepare and has a delicious taste and texture.
Ingredients
- jam (strawberry or blackberry traditionally, but you can choose your favorite)
- ¼ liter milk
- 500g flour
- 20g fresh yeast
- 50g sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup melted butter
Steps
- Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, yeast, salt, sugar)
- Next add the milk and egg and mix with your hands until you have a homogeneous mass of dough
- Cover with a cloth and let rest for one hour
- Then, divide the dough into 5 parts, cover again and let rest for another hour
- Once they have risen, flatten them slightly and add a generous spoonful of jam to the center each one, then close them up by joining the edges, as you would with mochi
- With five buns ready to go, heat a relatively deep frying pan with some butter and once it melts, place the dampfnudeln inside
- Cover and let fry for about 10 minutes
En teoría ya están listos… pero son una delicia cuando les agregas un aliño dulce por encima, como leche condensada, o un poco Enjoy a soft, warm dampfnudeln as is, or, if you crave additional comforts, you can dress it up with some condensed milk, or a sprinkling of powdered sugar like a New Orleans style beignet. Comfort yourself, your family, or a crush with this simple sweet treat.
