DAMPFNUDELN, or GERMAN PUDDINGS

Ingredients

• 1 lb flour
• 1/4 lb butter
• 5 eggs
• 2 small tablespoonfuls of yeast
• 2 tablespoonful finely-pounded sugar
• milk
• a very little salt

Instructions

1. Put the flour into a basin, make a hole in the centre, into which put the yeast, and rather more than 1/4 pint of warm milk; make this into a batter with the middle of the flour, and let the sponge rise in a warm temperature.
2. When sufficiently risen, mix the eggs, butter, sugar, and salt with a little more warm milk, and knead the whole well together with the hands, beating the dough until it is perfectly smooth, and it drops from the fingers.
3. Then cover the basin with a cloth, put it in a warm place, and when the dough has nicely risen, knead it into small balls;
4. butter the bottom of a deep sauté-pan, strew over some pounded sugar, and let the dampfnudeln be laid in, but do not let them touch one another;
5. then pour over sufficient milk to cover them, put on the lid, and let them rise to twice their original size by the side of the fire.
6. Now place them in the oven for a few minutes, to acquire a nice brown colour, and serve them on a napkin, with custard sauce flavoured with vanilla, or a _compôte_ of any fruit that may be preferred.