Peanut Butter Gnocchi

The recipe I used calls for the potatoes to be smashed through a ricer, one gadget I do not possess. I now realise I could have used a cheese grater to achieve the same effect, but at the time of production, I didn't know this trick, and so I dumped the cooked potatoes into a colander and squeezed them through its holes. The technique was actually quite successful, if time consuming. I spent perhaps ten minutes squishing the potatoes through the colander. But the resulting gnocchi was worth the time, as they are softer and lighter than any gnocchi I've made before.

These peanut butter gnocchi aren't sweet; I reckon with a bit of sugar, perhaps sauteed in butter and cinnamon, they could become a rather tasty dessert. But these particular gnocchi are savory, so I just doused them in a some soy sauce and garnished with crunchy sesame seeds. Next time, I might add sesame seeds to the dough as well, to further contrast the textures of the gritty seeds and the soft, pillowy dumplings.

Adapted from Fine Cooking's Potato Gnocchi recipe

Peanut Butter Gnocchi

Ingredients:

4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for board

1 tsp salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup peanut butter (I used natural smooth)

Soy sauce, sesame seeds for serving (sesame oil would also be tasty)

Directions:

--Cut potatoes in large chunks; place in a medium pot and cover with water by at least 2 inches. Bring water to a boil, and then simmer until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.

--Drain potatoes and let cool until able to handle. Skin potatoes and mash, using a ricer, cheese grater or large-holed colander. Let cool in a large bowl about 20 minutes, or until room temperature.

--In a small bowl, mix flour and salt. Add egg to the potatoes and then add flour mixture. Mix with your hands until flour is moistened. Add peanut butter and continue mixing until dough begins to form large clumps. Gather dough together and press until one large ball forms.

--Flour a work surface and place dough on surface. Knead carefully until flour is fully incorporated and dough is smooth; don't overmix, or the dough may become tough. If the dough is sticky, wet hands in lieu of adding more flour, to ensure soft, tender dumplings.

--Cover two baking sheets with parchment and sprinkle parchment with flour. Take a lemon-sized piece of dough and roll on the floured surface into a rope about 3/4 inches in diameter. Using a sharp paring or bench knife, cut bite sized pieces of dough, to create about 3/4 inch squares. Transfer gnocchi to baking sheet, keeping pieces apart. Repeat until dough is used up.

(At this point, the gnocchi can sit at room temperature for two to three hours or be frozen. To freeze, put trays of gnocchi in the freezer for an hour and then transfer gnocchi to a Ziploc bag.)

--Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook gnocchi one third at a time. The gnocchi will sink to the bottom of the pot; give a slight stir to separate any pieces that are sticking together and wait until gnocchi float to the surface. Cook for one minute more. Carefully drain gnocchi in a colander, and transfer immediately to a pot and coat in sauce to avoid sticking. In this case, immediately drizzle with soy or teriyaki sauce. Garnish individual servings with sesame seeds. Makes 6 generous servings.