Ricotta Dumplings with Sour Cherry Sauce and Hazelnut Butter

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix and chill the dough

   Let the ricotta drain in a sieve for 10 minutes. In a bowl, mix it with the egg, 20 g sugar, lemon zest, 1 g salt, semolina, and 75 g flour. Mix only until the ingredients are combined. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Set aside the remaining 10 g flour for shaping.

   
2. 2

   Cook the tangy sour cherry sauce

   Put the cherries, 30 ml water, sugar for the sauce, and the remaining 0.5 g salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for 5–7 minutes, until the cherries soften and release their juices. Mix the cornstarch with the remaining 15 ml cold water, pour it into the saucepan, and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

   
3. 3

   Toast the hazelnuts and prepare the butter

   Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, occasionally shaking the pan. Once fragrant and browned in places, transfer them to a cutting board, let cool briefly, then coarsely chop. Put the butter in a clean small saucepan and heat over medium heat for 3–4 minutes. When the foam subsides and the milk solids on the bottom turn amber, remove the saucepan from the heat immediately.

   
4. 4

   Shape and poach the dumplings

   In a wide pot, bring 2 l water to just below a boil; the water should barely simmer, not boil vigorously. Lightly dust your hands with the reserved flour and shape the dough into 8 dumplings. Add them to the water in batches so they do not stick together. Once they float to the surface, poach them for 3 more minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and let drain briefly.

   
5. 5

   Serve warm

   Divide the warm cherry sauce among the plates and place two dumplings on each. Drizzle with the hazelnut butter and sprinkle with the toasted nuts. Serve immediately while the dumplings are soft and the butter is still liquid.