Quark Dumplings with Strawberry Cream

Jurgen Spagolla, Executive Chef, Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, Vermont

Ingredients
2 oz. unsalted butter
1 whole egg
9 oz. Quark
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
6 oz. all-purpose flour
2 pints fresh strawberries
2 teaspoon sugar, for fruit sauce
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 cup hazelnut flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 oz. butter
8 oz. whipped cream

Preparation 
To prepare the dough for dumplings, whisk butter, lemon zest, and vanilla bean scrapings together in a bowl.  Add the egg, then the quark.  Last, mix in flour until dough is smooth.

Bring large saucepan of water to simmer.

Clean, wash, and dry strawberries.  Pick out about 12 medium strawberries for dumplings.  The rest put in a food processor with confectionery sugar and blend to a sauce.

To prepare the crumb mixture, melt butter over medium heat in a Teflon frying pan.  Add bread crumbs and hazelnut flour, and toast until golden brown.  Take crumbs off the burner and mix with sugar and cinnamon.

Whip cream to a peak and fold in the strawberry sauce.

Take 1 oz. Quark dough and wrap it around the strawberry.  Make sure no openings and no fruit is visible.  Place dumplings on flour dusted tray.  Repeat process until last berry is covered.

Poach the dumplings in simmering water until they begin to float, about 7 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the strawberry dumpling and roll gently in the crumb mixture.

To serve, place crumb coated dumplings on a plate and dust dumplings with powdered sugar.  Place strawberry cream next to dumplings.