Schnitz un Knepp
intro
Cozy traditional Pennsylvania Dutch comfort food featuring tender smoked ham, sweet-tart plumped dried apples, and fluffy dumplings, slow-simmered in one pot for a nostalgic, satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Steps
Simmer the smoked ham
Place the 900g smoked bone-in ham butt in a large 5L heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, pour in 1.5L (6 cups) cold water to fully submerge the ham. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, skimming any foamy residue from the surface with a slotted spoon every 15 minutes.
Add apples and aromatics
After the ham has simmered for 45 minutes, stir in the 150g diced yellow onion, 170g dried apple slices, 25g light brown sugar, 1.5g ground cinnamon, and 1g black pepper. Adjust heat to medium-low to return the mixture to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes until the apple slices are plump and tender.
Mix the dumpling dough
While the apples simmer, whisk 240g all-purpose flour, 8g baking powder, and 5g kosher salt together in a medium mixing bowl. In a separate small bowl, beat 1 large egg, then stir in 180ml whole milk and 28g melted cooled unsalted butter until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until just combined—lumps in the batter are normal, and overmixing will result in tough, dense dumplings.
Drop the dumplings
Once the apples are tender, use a 60ml (1/4 cup) measuring scoop to drop even portions of dumpling batter directly onto the surface of the simmering ham and apple mixture, leaving 2.5cm (1 inch) of space between each dumpling to allow for expansion as they cook. Do not stir the dumplings down into the liquid, as this will cause them to break apart. Maintain medium-low heat to keep a steady gentle simmer.
Steam the dumplings
Seal the Dutch oven tightly with its lid, reduce heat to low to maintain a soft simmer (do not allow the liquid to boil rapidly, as this will break up the dumplings), and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid at any point. Dumplings are fully cooked when they are puffed, light in texture, and have no raw gooey batter in the center when pierced with a paring knife.
Portion and serve
Turn off the heat, carefully transfer the ham to a wooden cutting board, and slice it into 1.25cm (1/2 inch) thick pieces, cutting around the central bone. Return the sliced ham to the pot to warm through for 2 minutes, then ladle servings into wide shallow bowls, ensuring each portion gets a slice of ham, several plump apple pieces, 1-2 dumplings, and a scoop of the sweet-savory broth.
Tips
2.Use unsweetened dried apples for this recipe, as sweetened dried apples will make the broth overly cloying when paired with brown sugar and smoky ham.
3.If your smoked ham is particularly salty, soak it in cold water for 1 hour before cooking to draw out excess salt, then replace the soaking water with fresh water for simmering.
OMG I grew up eating my great grandma’s schnitz un knepp but I lost her recipe years ago! This tasted EXACTLY like what she used to make for Sunday family dinners. The ham was so tender, the apple schnitz had that perfect sweet-savory balance, and the dumplings were fluffy as a cloud. My kids loved it so much they went back for seconds and thirds!
Total game changer for busy weeknights! I thought this would be way more complicated since it’s a traditional dish, but it was so easy even on a night I had to squeeze in cooking between soccer practice and homework help. SO good, the whole family cleaned their plates. I added a tiny pinch of cinnamon to the apple schnitz like my mom used to and it was chef’s kiss.
Brought this to my neighborhood fall potluck last weekend and people were hounding me for the recipe before I even set the dish down! It traveled really well, held up in the crockpot on the drive over, and even the picky eaters went crazy for the dumplings. Only note: I used a bone-in smoked ham hock instead of a regular ham roast and it added such a deep, rich flavor.
Wait, full transparency: I had to Google what schnitz un knepp was before I made this because my partner kept raving about their grandma’s version. I’m a total beginner cook and this was so straightforward! Only mess up: I dropped my dumplings too early and they got a little mushy, but they still tasted amazing. Any tips for getting that perfect fluffy dumpling texture next time?
Meal prep win! I made a big batch of this on Sunday, portioned it out for lunches all week, and it somehow got better every day. The flavors meld so nicely after sitting in the fridge, and the dumplings didn’t get soggy at all like I was worried they would. 10/10 will be in my regular fall rotation for sure.
We just went apple picking last weekend and had a ton of dried apples left over from last year’s haul, so this was the perfect recipe to use them up! I used a mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith schnitz and the sweet-tart flavor was unbeatable paired with the salty ham. My husband said it tastes like fall in a bowl.
Y’all, I was skeptical because I’m used to super savory southern ham dishes, but the sweet apple element? *Chef’s kiss* It’s such a nice balance, not too sweet at all. I served it with a side of braised collards and it was the perfect cozy Sunday supper. Wait, has anyone tried making this with a spiral ham for extra sweetness?
Made this after a long chilly hike last weekend and it was the perfect warm, hearty meal to come home to. It didn’t require a ton of active effort so I was able to throw it on the stove and relax by the fire while it cooked. The dumplings are so pillowy, I could eat a whole plate of just those on their own. Already planning to make it again when our family comes to visit next month.