Ingredients:

For the Dumplings:
2 cups flour
1/ 2 cup milk
1/ 2 package yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest ( half a lemon skin)
1 teaspoon salt

Poaching Liquid:
1 / 2 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons melted butter

Vanilla Sauce
1 box vanilla pudding
4 cups milk
1 vanilla bean

1. Heat the milk to 180 degrees to scald. This step is left out by some because the milk has already been pasteurized. Let cool to 100- 110 degrees. This is not critical but yeast activates best around this temperature.

2.Place flour in bowl and add the milk, yeast and sugar , mix it and let sit for 30 minutes.

3. After 30 minutes it should foam up like this.

4. grate and chop the lemon zest up add to the milk , with the egg , and salt.

5. Mix up the dough and let sit in the bowl, cover and let rise for an hour.

6. Punch down the dough and cut it into 9 equal balls .
Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

7. This is how I make a nice round ball. I squeeze the dough through my thumb and fore finger then twist it off.

8. Place the dough balls in a baking pan.

9. Let the dough double in size.

10. Slit the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds out.
Add to the milk, melted butter and sugar.

11. Pour in the poaching liquid ,

13. uncover and bake for another 10 -15 minutes until browned.

14. The bottom will be nice and crispy. If it isn't you can brown them in a pan with a bit of butter.

15. For the pudding, simmer the vanilla bean in the milk with the pudding mix.

16. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened.

17. Ladel over the top of the hot dampfnudel.

18. I served this with a nice mint sprig and part of the vanilla bean for garnish.
I sprinkled vanilla powder over it but you could sprinkle nutmeg or cinnamon also.

19. Here is another way to serve this damfnudel.
With Plum sauce on one side and vanilla sauce on the other.

20. I thinned down 1/4 cup of plum preserves with a 1 tablespoon water and warm it up till you can whip it smooth.