Apricot Dumplings

Ingredients:

450 g (1 lb) small apricots

1 sugar cube per apricot,

350 ml (12 fl oz) water plus 2 litres (3 1/2 pints)

100 g (4 oz) butter

150 g (5 oz) plain flour

2 eggs

salt

100 g (4 oz) breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons icing sugar to sprinkle.

Directions:

Wash, dry, split and stone the apricots and place 1 sugar cube in the centre of each.

Bring the 350 ml (12 fl oz) of water to the boil, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the water, tip the flour at one go into the boiling water and stir vigorously until the mixture forms a ball.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave the dough to cool slightly. Beat in the eggs one after the other.

While the dough is still lukewarm, shape it into a long roll and cut into as many slices as you have apricots. Flatten each slice slightly and wrap round an apricot. Leave to dry for 5 minutes.

Bring the 2 litres (3 1/2 pints) of water and a generous pinch of salt to the boil, add the dumplings, reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 10 minutes.

Melt the remaining butter in a frying pan and brown the breadcrumbs. Drain the dumplings thoroughly, coat them in breadcrumbs and dust with icing sugar.