I've no idea where Marie got this recipe, but it is a sneaky way to put on fifty pounds without even trying. The dumplings are so good it is easy to forget how many you can eat. Trust me, you will eat a lot. They are excellent.

The recipe as shown is kept simple, the way Marie made them, without the addition of extra flavoring or seasoning ingredients, but note that you could consider mixing in small amounts (1/4 to 1/3 cup) of grated (Parmesan) cheese or perhaps a teaspoon or two of an herb like dried basil to the dumpling mixture, prior to forming the dumplings.

The picture shown with this recipe is of whole dumplings but we improved that a lot by cutting them in half prior to frying (sautéing) in butter.

Ingredients: (makes 20 to 24 dumplings for the boiling step and after cutting 40 to 48 half dumpling pieces ready to sauté)

2 very large russet potatoes

1 1/2 cups of diced onion

1 quarter pound stick of butter

½ cup of all purpose flour (more if needed)

1 jumbo egg or two large eggs

Flour to coat your hands for forming the potato mixture into dumplings

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Peel and then grate the potatoes on to a wood cutting board. Put them into a colander and press them to remove excess water, then lightly salt them.

Whisk the egg(s) in a two quart bowl and then gradually add the grated potatoes while mixing them with a serving spoon. It is at this point that you might (optionally) add in other flavoring or seasoning ingredients during the mixing.

Add half of the flour to the potato/egg mixture and mix well. Continue adding flour and mixing with the spoon until the mixture is not totally sticky. You may need somewhat more flour than the indicated 1/2 cup.

Note that the mixture should remain somewhat sticky, which is necessary for the dumplings to later hold their shape and not fall apart before boiling. You want potato dumplings, not grated potatoes lost in flour dumplings.

Coat your dry hands with flour. This will keep the dumpling mixture from sticking to your hands.

Form the potato/egg/flour mixture into about 20 to 24 dumpling balls 1 1/4 inches in diameter by rolling small portions of the mixture between the palms of your hands. Put the dumplings on to a plate as you make them.

Heat two quarts of lightly salted water to boiling in a 3 quart pot or large saucepan.

Put the half of the dumplings into the boiling water individually so they don't stick to each other (you cook them in two separate batches). Cook them for ten minutes or until the dumplings float. Note that the dumplings are so heavy they will sink to the bottom of the pot or saucepan and likely stick to it during cooking unless the pot or pan is non-stick.

You may have to use a serving spoon to gently disconnect each of them from the bottom of the pot or saucepan. Otherwise they may be cooked and ready to float but you won't know that. Drain the boiled dumplings in a strainer or colander. Repeat the boiling procedure for the other half of the dumplings.

Cut the drained dumplings in half and sauté the pieces in the butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Mix them while sautéing so the entire surface starts to change color. After the dumplings have started to turn light tan all over the surfaces, add the chopped onion to the butter and dumplings as part of the sauté process. It is a nice addition. Continue sautéing until the onions turn color into tan, then put the fried potato dumplings and onion pieces into a pre-warmed serving dish.

Note that you can keep the fried dumplings warm in a 180 degrees F warming oven while you complete making/serving other meal items.

Serve the fried potato dumplings with the onions hot, and add pepper and salt to your own taste.