How To Make Gomboc – Delicious Hungarian Dumplings

I am definitely not a food blogger, but moving to a colder climate has lead me to be more interested in making food. Being homesick for certain foods that family members make has also lead me to cook more. Some of our favorite recipes haven’t been written down, so documenting them here is a way for us to revisit them and why not share with you!

While my husband and I were first dating I was introduced to all sorts of delicious Hungarian foods that I had never tried, let alone heard of. One of my favorites is gomboc, which means dumpling in Hungarian. You will see a lot of recipes online that use plum (silvas gomboc), more specifically Italian plums.

However, the first time I tasted gomboc, my MIL had used apricot. This was a revelation for me because since I was a kid, apricots have been one of my favorite fruits. I am all for desserts with apricot!

When we moved up to Washington, we really missed the Hungarian dishes my MIL would make. We still don’t have the family recipe, so each summer we try different ones and make tweaks. I’ll share the latest recipe for apricot gomboc (sargabarack gomboc) since it is the one I am most accustomed to and the one we have been adjusting for the last few years.

Note- my keyboard shortcuts for adding accents do not work, so my Hungarian words are missing their accents 🙁

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Gather ingredients and tools.

Kitchen tools used: cutting board, peeler, knives, ricer, stock pot, skillet, wooden spoons, dough scraper, measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls.

Boil water for potatoes.

Peel the potatoes.

Slice potatoes for boiling.

Potatoes will need to boil about 25 minutes. You want the same consistency as you would when making mashed potatoes.

Slice apricots.

I say this step is optional because I prefer more fruit in my gomboc, and would prefer an entire apricot. My husband on the other hand, likes to make more dumplings with less fruit in each.

Set aside apricots and make cinnamon sugar mix.

Some recipes have you add the sugar and cinnamon into the center of the pitted fruit and others have you only add it to the finished dumpling. We like to add some inside and out!

Rice the potatoes once they have boiled.

Add flour and eggs to the riced potatoes.

Add salt to dough.

Cover dough with plastic wrap and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Toast breadcrumbs in butter and set aside.

My husband took over from here because I got sidetracked with some other task while the dough was rising. Oops, thanks for stepping in mister!

Roll out dough with rolling pin.

Make sure to dust your surface with flour. Roll to 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick.

Slice dough into sections that will fit your fruit.

We used a dough scraper to make the cuts.

Place fruit in middle of dough section and sprinkle sugar cinnamon mix if desired.

If you prefer a less sweet gomboc, minimize the amount of sugar and or cinnamon you add, or skip it completely.

Roll the dough into a ball shape.

You are almost done! Dust a bit of flour as you roll.

Drop dumplings into boiling water.

Let the dumplings boil for about 10 to 20 minutes or until they float. The pot and pan aren’t placed in order of steps. You will boil, coat in bread crumbs and then place onto a plate. Just wanted to note that in case the visual sent a different message.

Coat gomboc in toasted breadcrumbs.

Ingredients

• 5 medium potatoes
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt, more for the pot
• 3 cups all purpose flour, add more if too watery and some for rolling out dough
• 18 apricots, pitted
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups fine breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Steps for How To Make Gomboc – Hungarian Dumplings

1. Boil water for potatoes.
2. Peel the potatoes and slice potatoes for boiling.
3. While potatoes are boiling for 25 to 30 minutes, slice apricots.
4. Set aside apricots and make cinnamon sugar mix.
5. Rice potatoes once they have boiled.
6. Add salt to dough.
7. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
8. Toast breadcrumbs in butter and set aside.
9. Roll out dough with rolling pin.
10. Slice dough into sections that will fit your fruit.
11. Place fruit in middle of dough section and sprinkle sugar cinnamon mix if desired.
12. Roll the dough into a ball shape using a bit of flour dusting your hands.
13. Add flour and eggs to the riced potatoes.
14. Drop dumplings into boiling water. Let boil for 10 to 20 minutes or until dumplings float.
15. Coat gomboc in toasted breadcrumbs.
16. Serve with cinnamon sugar mix to be sprinkled inside gomboc when cut open.

Frequently asked questions about How To Make Gomboc – Hungarian Dumplings

1. Can I substitute Russet potatoes in the gomboc recipe? Yes. We happened to have Yukon gold on hand.
2. Can I use left over mashed potatoes to make gomboc? Some sources say yes and some say no. We usually add cream to our mashed potatoes and maybe too much salt. Cream isn’t called for and the amount of salt we use in mashed potatoes might not taste so good in a dessert.
3. What can I use if I don’t have a ricer? I’ve read a masher would work, but I have never tried it when making the gomboc dough.
4. Can I use other fruits besides apricots? I asked my MIL why she used apricot while the majority of recipes online and in books used plum and she said it simply came down to availability. Depending on the stone fruits available to you, plums, apricots, pluots, peaches, cherries, it can be fun to experiment to your tastes.
5. What do you serve with gomboc? My husband said they grew up eating gomboc a pinto bean soup that had dill. I would imagine a kholrabi soup would also work. I personally like to eat gomboc warmed up for breakfast along with my coffee!

Thank you!

Thanks for reading! If you want to save this recipe for later, pin the image below. Have you ever tried gomboc or other variation? Let me know in the comments.

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Like I said, I am not food blogger, so you won’t find too many recipes here. I do have lots of home and garden ideas you can check out though!

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