Hungarian Sweet Gnocchi with Poppy Seed
Sweet gnocchi - not a typical dish
These sweet gnocchies remind me of my childhood and of my grandmother, who often made this delicacy. Poppy seed noodles are an eternal Hungarian classic, a worthy continuation of a lunch menu after a good goulash soup. I simply love poppy seeds, this ingredient despised by many. Before we look at the recipe, let’s get to know it first.
The contentious poppy seed
Poppy seed is a very popular ingredient in Hungary, where it is used as a filler in many dishes, particularly sweets. Other nations, however, restrict its commercialization, and it may only be bought through pharmacies. Despite the fact that opium is acquired from the plant’s unripe cocoon and that poppy seeds have nothing to do with the drug’s manufacture, their intake is nonetheless restricted in some nations for drug-related reasons.
Poppy seed's physiological effects
According to traditional medicine, the high phosphorus concentration of poppy seed oil increases calcium absorption and assimilation into the bones. Poppy seed is strong in calcium and includes a lot of E, C, and B vitamins. It also includes a lot of zinc, which is a cofactor for enzymes that regulate growth and development and plays an important role in immune system support.
The superstition of the poppy seed
Many traditional folk customs in Hungary guaranteed that unmarried females were more readily married. A superstition holds that poppy seeds must be ground on Christmas Day, as marriage will shortly follow. According to superstition grinding poppy seed is beneficial if only for the fact that people who eat poppy seeds, beans, or pumpkins at Christmas will get a lot of money.
Poppy seeds, grinded
With a dedicated grinder, you can get exceptionally high-quality ground poppy seeds. Grinding means that the seeds are not just chopped into little bits, but also to extract the oil and obtain a creamy paste as a consequence. Our filling (or in this example, the sugar poppy seeds covering the bread pudding) will be silkier and more flavorful. Of course, if you don’t have access to such a special grinder, you can use our coffee or spice grinder or perhaps a mortar and enjoy the incomparable taste of poppy seed!
Let's get cooking!
Once you have gathered all the ingredients, it’s time to prepare this sweet treat. The recipe description below will help you with this, as will the video we have created, in which you can follow the preparation steps. We hope you enjoy cooking and wish you a good appetite for sweet gnocchi!
Ingredients of sweet gnocchi:
- 600 g of potatoes
- 250 g plain flour
- 1 egg
- 5 tablespoons of powdered sugar
- 4-5 tablespoons of melted butter
- 5 tablespoons ground poppy seeds
- half a lemon
- salt
Steps:
- Peel and wash the potatoes. Cut into cubes and boil in salted water until soft (about 20 minutes). Drain and mash thoroughly. Leave to cool.
- Add the flour, egg, powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Knead until a homogeneous mass is formed.
- Roll out the dough 1/2″ thin on a floured work surface. Cut into finger-thick strips and roll them slightly. Cut the strips into 1″ pieces.
- Cook the gnocchies in boiling water until they come to the surface, plus 1 minute. Take them out.
- Melt and heat the butter in a pan and warm the gnocchies in it. Take them out again.
- Mix the ground poppy seeds with the powdered sugar and the grated zest of half a lemon. Add to the gnocchies and mix.
- Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Watch our video about sweet gnocchi recipe: