Vegetarian quark dumplings with plum compote

Vegetarian quark dumplings made from low-fat quark, spelt semolina and egg, rolled in cinnamon butter crumbs, with a plum compote spiced with cinnamon and cloves. An Austrian dessert with 25 g of protein.

At a glance

• Serves 4
• Prep time: 30 min
• Cooking time: 25 min
• Total time: 55 min
• Calories: 487 kcal per serving
• Protein: 25 g
• Fat: 14 g
• Carbs: 64 g

Ingredients

• 500g low-fat quark
• 2 eggs
• 45g butter
• 100g spelt semolina
• 110g breadcrumbs
• 1 lemon
• 35g honey
• 400g plums
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 50ml water
• 15g coconut sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Method

You’ll need: frying pan · saucepan · chopping board · knife · grater

1. Grate the lemon zest. Stir the low-fat quark, eggs, 20 g of soft butter, the spelt semolina, 50 g of the breadcrumbs, the lemon zest, salt and 1 tsp of the honey into a dough.
2. Cover the dough and leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes so the semolina can swell.
3. Halve the plums and remove the stones. Cook them, covered, with the remaining honey, the cinnamon stick, cloves and water for 10 minutes until they collapse, then remove the spices.
4. Bring plenty of salted water to the boil in a large pan. With damp hands, shape 12 dumplings and poach them in gently simmering water for 12 to 14 minutes until they rise to the top.
5. Melt the remaining butter in a frying pan and toast the rest of the breadcrumbs in it with the cinnamon and coconut sugar for 3 minutes until golden brown.
6. Lift the dumplings out with a slotted spoon, roll them in the buttery crumbs and serve them with the plum compote.

Good to know

Quark dumplings are a classic in Austria, where quark is simply called Topfen. The dumplings poach in water, roll through cinnamon crumbs and land next to a warm plum compote. A dessert that also passes as a sweet dinner.

Swaps

Plums → apricots or frozen berries (the compote works just as well). Spelt semolina → wheat semolina. Breadcrumbs in the butter → ground hazelnuts (nuttier; contains tree nuts). Honey → maple syrup.

Cooking tips

If the dough is too soft after resting, knead in another 1 to 2 tbsp of semolina. The water should only simmer, never bubble hard, or the dumplings will fall apart.

Storage

The compote keeps for 5 days in the fridge. You can freeze cooked dumplings and reheat them in hot water for 10 minutes.

Allergens

Contains gluten, milk and egg; no nuts. Suitable for children and in pregnancy; no honey for babies under one year old.

Frequently asked questions

Can you freeze quark dumplings?

You can freeze cooked dumplings and reheat them in hot water for 10 minutes.

How long do quark dumplings keep in the fridge?

The compote keeps for 5 days in the fridge.