Dumplings with Crispy Sage and Sherry Brown Butter

I could make this a whole meal!  Another recipe that makes me glad I try new things.  Based on a recipe from Food & Drink Winter 2012.

2 medium sweet potatoes, totalling 500g
8 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
70 g goat cheese
1 tsp salt1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
30 wonton wrappers
1 egg white, lightly beaten
18 fresh sage leaves
3 thin slices prosciutto torn into 1 inch shreds
3 tbsp sherry vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Pierce potatoes with a fork; place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until very tender and soft.
3. Peel sweet potatoes and mash in a bowl.  Melt 2 tbsp butter and combine with sweet potato, cheese, salt, pepper and spices.
4. Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with plastic wrap and a moist paper towel to keep them from drying out) brush edges of wrapper with egg white.  Spoon a scant 1 tbsp potato mixture into centre of each wrapper and press edges together to seal, forming a triangle.  Make sure all air pockets have been pushed out or dumplings will burst when boiled.  Trim dumplings if edges are uneven.  Repeat, filling and sealing dumplings with remaining wonton wrappers. Cover dumplings with plastic wrap and chill until ready to cook.
5. Melt remaining butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.  When butter stops foaming, add sage leaves and fry until crisp but still green, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Transfer sage to paper towel to drain.  Increase heat and fry prosciutto until crisp, about 3 minutes.  Drain and crumble.
6. Reduce heat to medium and continue heating butter until it turns brown; about 3 minutes.   Keep butter warm over low heat while cooking dumplings.
7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add 15 dumplings to pot at a time and cook 2 minutes; dumplings will float to top of water when done.  Drain well and transfer to a lightly greased platter and keep warm.  Repeat procedure with remaining dumplings.
8. When all dumplings are cooked, increase heat to high to warm brown butter.  After 60 seconds remove pan from heat, add sherry vinegar and cover with lid to contain sputtering.  When pan stops sputtering, season sauce with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.  Serve dumplings with a drizzle of hot brown butter sauce and garnish with crumbled prosciutto and crispy sage leaves.

Pumpkin "Ravioli" tossed with Bacon and Parsley

This is a bit fussy and I was nervous about using the pumpkin, but wow I loved it!  Admittedly I do love squash and the pumpkin had a great fall flavour.  Making the ravioli's takes a bit of time.  Got this out of Food and Drink Autumn 2011.

"Ravioli"
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1 cup canned unsweetened pur pumpkin
1/2 tsp dried sage leaves, crumbled
1/4 tsp salt
pinches each nutmeg and pepper
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra smooth ricotta cheese
2 eggs
about 2/3 of a 400 g pkg wonton wrappers

Sauce
4 strips bacon, thinly sliced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp chopped parsley
pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan for serving

1. Melt butter in  large frying pan over medium heat.  Add onion and stir just until tender, about 3 minutes.  Add pumpkin and seasonings.  Cook, stirring frequently, until pumpkin loses some of its moisture and flavours develop, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, turn into a bowl and cool completely.  Stir in cheeses then 1 egg until well blended.
2. Whisk remaining egg with 1 tbsp water.  It's easiest to work with about 10 wonton wrappers at a time.  Spoon 1 heaping tsp filling in centre of each wrapper.  Brush edges with egg mixture.  Pick up wrapper and fold together, pressing out excess air to form a triangle and enclose filling.  Squeeze edges tightly to seal.  Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and filling (freeze any leftover wrappers).
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook ravioli.  Meanwhile in a large wide pan or frying pan, cook bacon until fairly crispy.  Keep warm.  Add ravioli to boiling water.  Cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.  Drain very well.  Add butter to bacon in pan, stirring until melted.  Then add ravioli, parsley and pepper.  Stir very gently to coat, serve with additional Parmesan.

Serves 4