Prune Plum Gnocchi are sweet potatoes gnocchi filled with fresh prune plums seasoned with butter, sugar and cinnamon. This is one of Friuli Venezia Giulia’s regional dishes and it’s traditionally served as a first dish, but you can also decide to make it into a dessert. I personally enjoy it more when it’s served at the end of the meal.

Ingredients for Prune Plum Gnocchi

Potatoes: you should avoid potatoes like Jersey Royal (patate novelle) because they are richer in water. Ideally you would use “old” red potatoes, which are rich in starch and contain less water. Why am I talking about starchy potatoes? Because after boiling your potatoes you need to add eggs and flour, but if your potatoes are too wet, you need to add more and more flour to stick the dough together. When you add too much flour you loose the potatoes’ taste, and that’s a real pity, so try to opt for starchy potatoes if possible.
Flour: I use all purpose flour, as I’ve mentioned before, the quantity will vary based on the potatoes and how much water they have gained after being boiled, so you really need to feel the dough with your hands.
Eggs: Help to keep the dough together.
Prune Plums: use only fresh prune plums.
Caster Sugar & Cinnamon: two must ingredients that will be used for seasoning the plums and for the butter sauce.
Unsalted Butter: just for the sauce.

Prune Plum Gnocchi

Recipe by GiadaCourse: First Course, DessertCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Medium

Servings

servings

Prep time

hour

Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients For the dough

800g Potatoes (not peeled)
300gr Flour – this can vary
1 Egg
Pinch of salt
Prune Plums about 10-12
Caster Sugar 1 Tbs
Cinnamon 1 teaspoon
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE
150g Butter or more if needed
Cinnamon: based on your taste – I used about a Tbs
Caster Sugar: also based on your taste, I used 1 Teaspoon to top every dish I made

Directions

For the gnocchi dough follow the general potatoes gnocchi’s recipe.
Halve the prune plums lengthwise and remove the pits. Don’t season them quite yet, otherwise they will start to release their juice and the gnocchi will be soggy. In another small bowl mix sugar and cinnamon (you will use this for seasoning the plums afterwards).
On a flour-dusted surface roll l the gnocchi dough to about 5mm.
Cut the dough. With the help of a pastry ring cut the dough to form a cylinder. It has to be big enough to leave some space around the halved plum.
Shape the gnocchi. Delicately, flatten each cylinder with your finger and place a plum in the center of each dough circle. Add sugar and cinnamon on top of the halved plum and gather the dough up around it. Pay attention to enclose it completely without tearing the dough. Pat the dough with your hand over a flour-dusted surface to make sure is sealed properly. This step is very important to avoid gnocchi to open while boiling.
Make the sauce. Melt butter and add cinnamon. Transfer the sauce into a baking dish that you will keep warm inside the oven.
Cook the gnocchi. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot, add a spoon of extra virgin olive oil and then drop a few gnocchi inside. Gnocchi will fall at the bottom of your pot when you first drop them into the water. Stir gently to avoid sticking and let them rise to the surface. Wait 5 more minutes and then you can remove them from the water. I recommend you’ll cook a maximum of 4/5 gnocchi at the time and that you’ll transfer them to the baking dish with butter sauce when removed from the water.
Serve. When all gnocchi are ready and well mixed with the butter sauce, top each dish with a spoon of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon before serving.

Can I freeze gnocchi?

Yes! You can definitely freeze these plum gnocchi. The difference in this case with the regular potato gnocchi is that they must be boiled before. So boil these gnocchi and let them dry on a plate for a few minutes, then place them well distanced, into an airtight container in the freezer. When you want to eat them, let them defrost and add the butter cinnamon & sugar sauce before serving.

Can You make gnocchi ahead of time?

Yes, of course. To preserve their freshness I recommend you will place the gnocchi on a baking dish, making sure to place parchment paper on it and to keep each gnocchi pillow distant from the other. After they are frozen you can move them inside an airtight bag or container (always inside the freezer). When it will be time to cook them, drop gnocchi inside boiling water while they are still frozen.