Hotel Imperial Sweet Cheese Dumplings

Source: Chef Stefan Hierzer, Hotel Imperial, Vienna, Austria

Stefan Hierzer pipes a beautiful swirled chocolate design on the plates, then fills the large spaces in the swirl with strawberry pur�e, before he even starts adding the dumplings. These cheese dumplings are boiled in rum-scented water, then rolled in crunchy butter-saut�ed breadcrumbs and dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Serves 4

Strawberry Pur�e:
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Coating:
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup dried fine breadcrumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Dumplings:
2 cups fresh bread cubes
1 1/4 cups sweet (farmer's) cheese (may substitute ricotta)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1 vanilla bean
1 egg
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup rum

Garnish:
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
12 to 16 blueberries
4 strawberries, halved
12 to 16 raspberries
4 mint leaves
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

To make the pur�e: Combine the strawberries and sugar in a food processor or blender and pur�e. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and set aside.

To make the coating: Melt the butter in a medium saut� pan and stir in the breadcrumbs and sugar. Saut� until golden and crispy. Set aside in a shallow bowl or plate.

To make the dumplings: In a large bowl, mix the bread cubes, cheese and zests. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the tiny seeds into the mixture; discard the pod (or place in granulated sugar to make vanilla sugar). With a wooden spoon, stir in the egg, pinch of salt and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1/2 cup rum. Form the dumpling mixture into 2-inch balls. Drop the dumplings into the boiling water and cook 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on towels.

To serve: Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Put into a pastry bag fitted with a very small plain tip, or put into a small plastic bag and snip a tiny hole in one corner. Pipe a design on each of four dessert plates, incorporating two large circles in the design. Let set for 1 minute. With the tip of a spoon, fill the circles with strawberry pur�e. Roll the dumplings in the coating mixture and place two or three dumplings on each plate. Garnish each plate with a few blueberries, one split strawberry and a few raspberries, topped with a mint leaf. Dust the dumplings with confectioners' sugar.