Need help with hard dumplings

[Chef #1145416]

My grandmother made a hard dumpling, the size of a baseball. No eggs, no bread, just riced or hard mashed potatoes, lots of flour, 1/8 cup hot melted lard and salt. Boiled them for 10+ minutes. They came out hard and we called them "sinkers". She usually served them with pork or rabbit gravy. Needed a knife to cut them into pieces. I have looked and looked for the same type recipe. Even the cousins disagree in how to make them. Any help? Thanks.

[Molly53]

Chef 1145416 wrote:
My grandmother made a hard dumpling, the size of a baseball. No eggs, no bread, just riced or hard mashed potatoes, lots of flour, 1/8 cup hot melted lard and salt. Boiled them for 10+ minutes. They came out hard and we called them "sinkers". She usually served them with pork or rabbit gravy. Needed a knife to cut them into pieces. I have looked and looked for the same type recipe. Even the cousins disagree in how to make them. Any help? Thanks.

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[Chef #1145416]

Molly 53 host

I thought I had a reply to my request. I was disappointed. Thanks for saying hello, though.

Joy

[Molly53]

Chef 1145416 wrote:
Molly 53 host

I thought I had a reply to my request. I was disappointed. Thanks for saying hello, though.

Joy

Joy...you did have an answer to your request. Take a closer look at the last sentence in my previous post.

[sugar maple]

Hi,

What you're talking about are Kartoffelknödel or potato dumplings. If you can read German you can google for numerous recipes. I think every grandmother has her own unique recipe. Some dumpling recipes use only cooked potatoes and others are called "halb und halb" calling for half cooked and half raw grated potato. The dumplings are formed and then simmered in a generous amount of lightly salted water until they rise to the top.

[sugar maple]

Me again - check out recipe German Potato Dumplings from this site. It comes pretty close to what you're talking about. I've never heard of using lard in a potato dumpling recipe so maybe that was your grandma's secret ingredient.

[BeaJae]

This is my m-i-l's recipe which is one o the 3 dishes my husband makes.

3 very large potatoes or their equal, diced for cooking
Cook in large pot until for fork pierces easily. Drain. Using 4 cups of potatoes, add 2 tablespoons salt and 3 cups of flour.

Mix with your hand until 4 inch in diameter balls can be formed and stick together. Put into a kettle of boiling water and boil for approximately 30 minutes. Stir occasionally so dumplings do not stick to the bottom of the kettle.

Serve with gravy. Great with roast beef, pork or any German entree such as sauerbraten, wiener schnitzel, etc..

These are huge, heavy dumplings and delicious. Hope you enjoy!

[Irmgard]

I make potato dumplings sometimes. I always use baking potatoes to make them as I find that these potatoes have the best consistency for the dough. Also, use a ratio of 1 cup of flour for each pound of potatoes and add an egg to the dough. It makes a nice, tender dumpling. I put the uncooked dumplings in rapidly boiling salted water and let them cook until they float to the top. They turn out great every time. Just my two cents!