Every time I visited my cousins in Austria I asked for Austrian Käse Knocken as I was not sure how to make it.
My cousin bought me the tray used to pass the dough through (to get the knocken) and showed me how to prepare them. You can buy the tray on Amazon, there are of course various other types available.
My mother did not use the the tray as she made hers with a small teaspoon and dropped the dough in boiling water. They tasted good but I preferred the Austria style.
The dumplings can be used as a type of pasta with any dish that has a sauce or they are also great with goulash. They can also be served with a little melted butter and some grated cheese for an easy dish (or with pesto if you prefer) with a green salad.
In Austria, they make the dumplings and then put them into a frying pan to finish them off. I’ll explain the process in the recipe.
The quantity I make serves 6 people
Ingredients for Knocken
500 g of plain flour
6 medium eggs
Just over 200ml of cold water
Method
Put the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs and start mixing then in to the flour adding water from time to time. The dough should be quite stiff but supple enough to pass through the holes of the tray.
Put a large pan of water on the stove and bring to the boil.
When the water is boiling, reduce the heat a little so it is not as fierce as when it fully boil, put the tray on the top of the pan and put about 1/3 of the dough on the tray and use a scraper to push through the holes. The dough should drop in the water in small dumplings. Continue until you have used all the dough. Give the dumplings a stir and if they are all floating to the top of the water, they are ready. Drain and put aside for a few minutes.
Ingredients for Käse Kocken
One portion of knocken
Approx. 300g to 400g of extra mature cheddar (grated)
5 thin rashers of bacon cut into small strips
5 spring onions or 1/2 an onion (thinly sliced)
Method
Put a large frying pan on the hob and cook the bacon and onions.
Add the knocken.
Add the cheese.
Mix all well and then leave on a high heat turning them regularly until you have some crispy cheese scattered throughout the dish. It will take approx. 10 minutes.
Serve with a green salad and any other salad items you may fancy, in Austria, the only accompaniment is the green salad.
Recipe by : Brigitte Kershaw
You may also want to read this:
Cake Aux Olives or Olive Bread Recipe
Recipe: Austrian Quark and Chocolate Cake
Frangipane Apricot Tart Recipe
26 comments
We ate a similar dish on our last trip to Austria. I like your recipe, it looks authentic and I want to try making it at home for the family.
Hope you do give it a try, it will bring back memories
I have not heard of this before, but has everything I like in it and looks easy to make, this will make a great comfort food
Yes it would indeed as its warming
I love cheese and this one looks really great! I think I’ll make some these soon!
Hope you do give the recipe a try
What a heartwarming story and a delicious-sounding dish! It’s so lovely how your cousins in Austria shared their culinary tradition with you, and now you can make Austrian Käse Knocken yourself with their guidance and the handy tray they gifted you. Food has a way of bringing us closer together, even across borders.
It’s fascinating to see the different methods of making these dumplings, whether using the traditional tray or your mother’s teaspoon technique. Each way adds its own unique touch to the dish, and it’s wonderful that you have found your preference in the Austrian style.
I’m already getting hungry just thinking about these versatile dumplings!
Thank you for your kind comment Sue-Tanya, food is what connects us and this is one such recipe for me
I’ve never heard of this dish, but it looks like something I would enjoy! Thanks for sharing the recipe so I can try it out for myself. I love dumplings so I bet this will be delicious.
You are welcome, hope you give the recipe a go
Austrian dumplings…Yummmmm…I never had Austrian dumplings and would love to cook me some. Thank you so much for the recipe.
You are welcome
Austrian dumplings are great!!! It is my first time making them and it is a good recipe to impress my family.
So glad to hear Beth
Looks a very interesting dish. Always willing to give new foods a try.
Agree, me too, love trying new dishes
I have never heard of this food before and the texture looks really interesting! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe, it sounds great for trying something new.
You are welcome, always good to discover new types of food and cuisine
It sounds like a nice dish. I want to try recipe this never heard of it before.
Hope you do give the recipe a try
My daughter just got home from a trip to Austria. This would be fun to make for her. I’m not sure if she had this when she was in Europe, but it sounds easy enough to make that it would be nice to try regardless.
How lovely, you should ask her so she can then make this at home if she feels like it
Can’t wait to give this recipe a go and savor the cheesy goodness!
It absolutely is yummy
Looks like an awesome recipe! I would love to try this next time
Hope you do give it a go