Kroppkakor - Swedish Potato Dumplings

We grew up eating the potato dumplings (palt) from northern Sweden made from raw potato. But I prefer this dumpling, made from cooked potato and more common in southern Sweden. These dumplings are heavy winter comfort food. The filling is usually cooked meatballs. But any kind of cooked meat will work. (I like pork best). If the dough is too dry I add an additional egg yolk or whole egg. We always ate these with lots of melted butter and cranberry or lingon jam, and a cold glass of milk. Leftovers taste really good cut into pieces and fried up crispy for breakfast the next day. This recipe is from an old Swedish cookbook of my mother's. It had a pink cover and folk drawing throughout. But now the cover and front page is missing so I no longer know the title. The slim cookbook was from a family friend as a momento from her visit to Sweden.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 10-12
• Yields: 24 dumplings

Ingredients

• 2  lbs potatoes, about 6 medium
• 1  egg yolk, slightly beaten
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 3⁄4 lb salt pork or 3⁄4 lb bacon or 3⁄4 lb ham, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 2 -3  cups plain flour
• 2  quarts water
• 2  teaspoons salt
•  melted butter, to serve
•  lingon  jam, to serve

Directions

1. Wash, peel and cut up potatoes. Cook about 20 minutes in enough salted water to cover the potatoes. Potatoes are done when they can be pierced with a fork. Drain.
2. Mash or rice potatoes well. Whip in the egg yolk and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside while you prepare filling.
3. Put onions in a cold skillet and fry with a little oil or butter until soft. Remove from pan. Add meat to pan and cook until crisp and evenly browned. Add back in onions. Drain off excess fat.
4. To make dough: Add the flour 1 cup at a time and mix well. Add as much of the flour to make a soft dough. Once dough has formed, turn out onto a floured surface and knead like bread dough. Pat out dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 2 inch rounds, a biscuit cutter works well. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the filling into the centre of one of the rounds. Cover with another round. Seal edges well, and shape into a ball.
5. Bring the 2 quarts of water and 2 tsps salt to the boil in a heavy saucepan. Once the water is boiling add dumplings one at a time, so that boiling does not stop. Cook only as many dumplings at one time that will float uncrowded, one layer deep. Cook 15 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon. Put in a warm dish and serve with melted butter and jam. A simple salad goes nice along side.