Whole Wheat Dumplings With Dried Fruit Sauce

These hearty dumplings are filled with B vitamins, and the dried fruit sauce is a tremendous source of potassium and enzymes. This dish is filling enough as a main course and delectable enough as dessert.

Dumplings:
4 cups (1 l) whole wheat flour
1/2 oz (20 g) fresh yeast or 1 Tbsp (15 ml) active dry yeast (one package)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) natural cane sugar such as Sucanat or Rapadura
1 cup (250 ml) lukewarm milk
2 large free-range eggs
1/2 tsp (2 ml) sea salt
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup (60 ml) butter
Milk (depending on size of pan or pot)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) butter or coconut butter
1 Tbsp (15 ml) honey or Sucanat or Rapadura

Fruit sauce:
6 cups (1.5 l) filtered water
1 lb (500 g) mixed dried fruit such as apples, pears, apricots, plums, figs
1/2 cup (125 ml) raisins
Juice of 1 orange
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4-1/2 tsp (1-2 ml) ground cloves
1/4-1/2 tsp (1-2 ml) ground ginger
Honey, to taste (optional)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) rum (optional)

To make the fruit sauce, soak dried fruit in water overnight. Next day, blend fruit, ground cloves, orange juice and lemon juice and zest. Season to taste with honey if desired.

Add rum, if desired.

To make the dumplings, place flour in mixing bowl and make an indent in the middle. Dissolve yeast and sugar in one-quarter cup (60 ml) of lukewarm milk, then pour mixture into flour.

Stir into a paste and sprinkle with a bit of flour. Cover bowl with a clean cloth and let sit in a warm place for about 10 minutes. Add remaining milk, eggs, sea salt, lemon zest and butter; knead to a dough. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Add more milk if needed. Cover dough and let double in size for about one hour.

Pour milk about one inch (two centimetres) high into a deep pan or a double boiler. Warm with butter and sugar to dissolve, then let cool. Meantime, form dough into balls two inches (five cm) in diameter. Set balls aside to let rise for another 10 minutes, then place in the milk mixture. Cover pot with a tight-fitting lid. Heat to boiling point on medium heat. Turn stove down to low and simmer dumplings for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from stove and place dumplings in a serving dish, turning them upside down. Serve warm with fruit sauce. Serves four to six.

Source: alive #243, January 2004