Moldovan Sour Cherry Dumplings

Start by draining canned cherries or thawed cherries, keeping the juice aside for later use in the recipe.

In a bowl, mix the flour and salt. Gradually incorporate water, stirring until the dough comes together.

Aim for a soft, non-sticky dough, being careful not to add excessive water.

Optionally, you can enrich the dough's consistency by adding 1-2 eggs.

Knead the dough well until it's uniform. Let it rest for about 10 minutes for easier kneading. Divide the dough into two portions and let them rest for an additional 10 minutes.

Roll out each dough ball into a sheet approximately 2mm thick.

Cut the dough sheets into squares about 3x3cm, or adjust the size to your preference for the dumplings.

Combine the well-drained cherries with 1-2 tablespoons each of flour and sugar.

Place 2-3 cherry pieces at the center of each dough square. Then, pick up two corners of the square and seal the edges together to create a dumpling.

Continue this process until all the dough is used. Place the formed dumplings on a flour-dusted surface.

Boil 3-4 liters of water with a pinch of salt in a large pot.

Once boiling, add the dumplings and let them cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3-4 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings to a bowl and drizzle with a bit of oil. Alternatively, if you prefer to avoid oil, you can pour the sweet cherry juice (from the drained cherries) over the dumplings and mix well, which will give the dough a pink hue.

Here's the final dish, lightly greased with oil and garnished with a sprinkle of sugar when served.

Enjoy your Traditional Moldovan Sour Cherry Dumplings!