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4.3 from 12 votes

Romanian Cottage Cheese Dumplings – Papanasi fierti

These Romanian cottage cheese dumplings with semolina or papanasi fierti are incredibly tender and coated in sugary breadcrumbs.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 20 dumplings
Calories: 443 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Romanian

Ingredients

Papanasi mixture:
  • 1⅛ cups cottage cheese 9 oz/ 250 g, Notes 1, 2
  • 1 medium egg
  • ¼ cup semolina 1.7 oz/ 50 g
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour 1.7 oz/ 50 g
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • a good pinch of salt
Breadcrumb coating:
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ¾ cup dry breadcrumbs 2.5 oz/ 75 g
  • 2 tablespoons sugar or more to taste
  • More flour for the working surface

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Drain: Place the cottage cheese into a fine-mesh sieve and drain thoroughly.1⅛ cups cottage cheese/ 250 g
  2. Toast breadcrumbs: Start by preparing the breadcrumbs. Melt the butter in a large pan, add the breadcrumbs, and stir for a few minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden. Transfer to a large bowl and let them get cool. When cold, add the sugar and mix well.¾ cup dry breadcrumbs/ 75 g + 2 tablespoons butter + 2 tablespoons sugar
  3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a good pinch of salt.
  4. Combine: In the meantime, mix the drained cottage cheese, egg, and vanilla sugar in a bowl. With the immersion blender, blend the ingredients until you obtain a rough paste. Add the semolina and the flour and mix with a spoon. The dough should be soft and a little bit sticky but still manageable.cottage cheese + 1 medium egg + ¼ cup semolina/ 50 g + ⅓ cup all-purpose flour/ 50 g + 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
  5. Dough: Sprinkle the working surface generously with flour. Turn the dough into the flour and form a ball. If the dough is too soft and you cannot really work with it, gradually add a little more flour. Don't overdo it, or the dumplings will turn out too tough. The dough should be very soft, and it is ok if it is still a bit sticky.
  6. Make dumplings: Flour your hands and form a sausage, about 1 – 1½ inches/ 3-4 cm in diameter. Cut the sausage into about 20 pieces. With floured hands, roll each piece into a ball. Turn this ball very lightly through the flour on the working surface (only if it's highly sticky), shake to remove the excess flour, and press into a disc. With a floured finger, press a small dent in the middle of the dumpling.
  7. Cook dumplings: When the water is boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low. Place all the dumplings into the pot. They will sink to the bottom of the pan, so take a slotted spoon and go under the dumplings to prevent them from sticking to the pot. After a few minutes, the dumplings will come up. Cover the pan and simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Then, turn off the heat and let the dumplings in hot water for another 5 minutes.
  8. Coat with breadcrumbs: Remove dumplings with a slotted spoon, drain them in a sieve and roll each dumpling in the breadcrumb mixture. Serve warm as they are or topped with some runny jam.

Notes

  • Cheese: Traditionally, papanasi fierti are made with Romanian brânză de vaci, which may be hard to find outside of Romania. The closest alternative is cottage cheese, but since it has a different texture, it’s important to blend it until smooth for the best results.
  • Measurements: I recommend using a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).

Nutrition Information

Serving 5dumplings Calories 443kcal (22%) Carbohydrates 68g (23%) Protein 16g (32%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Cholesterol 67mg (22%) Sodium 465mg (19%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 16g (32%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 20dumplings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 443

% Daily Value*

Serving 5dumplings
Calories 443kcal 22%
Carbohydrates 68g 23%
Protein 16g 32%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Cholesterol 67mg 22%
Sodium 465mg 19%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 16g 32%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.