Fruit Dumplings (Apricots, Blueberries, Plums)

Ingredients

For the dough

• 200 g ricotta cheese or polish soft cheese
• 15 g butter, melted
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 50 g caster sugar
• 300 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 100 g fine semolina
• 5 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk

For the fruit filling

• 500 g mixed fruit (apricots or plums, halved and stones removed or whole blueberries)
• 300 g dark chocolate, broken into squares (if using apricots)
• 12 lumps of sugar (if using plums)
• 1 dash sugar (if using blueberries)

For the crumble

• 40 g unsalted butter
• 100 g fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

To serve

• 20 g unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 teaspoons caster sugar

Directions

1. 1

   For the dough: push the cheese through a sieve into a mixing bowl. Add the butter, eggs and sugar and mix together well. Add the flour, semolina and milk in stages to form a soft, pliable dough. Tip it out of the bowl on to a lightly floured surface and knead it lightly. Roll into a long sausage shape about 6cm in diameter.

2. 2

   For the filling: if you're using apricots, put a square of chocolate in the centre of each fruit to replace the stone and close the halves firmly together. If you have chosen plums, replace the stone with a lump of sugar and close the halves firmly together.

3. 3

   Cut a slice of dough about 1 cm thick and put it on a well-floured board. Roll it out into a circle large enough to envelope the apricot or other fruit. Put an apricot or plum on the dough and bring it up around the fruit to enclose it completely. Seal the edges well and repeat with the remaining dough and fillings. If you are using blueberries, use 3-4 per dumpling with a sprinkling of sugar.

4. 4

   Bring a large pan of slightly salted water to the boil and drop the dumplings into it, 3 or 4 at a time. Gently move them around the pan with a wooden spoon to ensure they don't stick to the bottom and cook them for 10-12 minutes; they are done when they rise to the surface.

5. 5

   For the crumble: melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and fry gently until golden, then sprinkle in the sugar and stir well. Remove the pan from the heat and tip the crumble mixture into a warmed serving dish.

6. 6

   Remove the dumplings as they cook, using a slotted spoon to let them drain. Roll them in the crumble mixture, and keep them warm in a low oven while you cook the remaining dumplings. Once they are all cooked and coated, serve them hot with the melted butter spooned over, and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.