Imperial Hotel Sweet Cheese Dumplings

From my "Have to Try" file, I finally decided to try these dumplings last night. I'm partial to the Imperial Hotel in Vienna, Austria and after last night, with what I learned about making these, I really need to perfect them.
Source: Chef Stefan Hierzer
serves 4
Strawberry Puree
1 c fresh strawberries, hulled
1/4 c confectioners sugar

Coating
2 T unsalted butter
1 c dried breadcrumbs
1/4 c granulated sugar

Dumplings
2 c fresh bread crumbs
1 1/4 c Farmer's cheese ( may substitute ricotta; big pointer to be read at end of recipe!)
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp orange zest
1 vanilla bean
1 egg
pinch of salt
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 c rum
Garnish
2 oz bittersweet chocolate
12 - 16 blueberries
4 strawberries, halved
4 mint leaves
confectioner's sugar for dusting

Make puree: Combine strawberries and confectioners sugar in a food processor and puree. Then push mixture through a sieve and set aside.
Make coating: Milt butter in medium saute pan and stir in breadcrumbs and sugar. Saute until golden and crispy. Set aside in a bowl/plate.
Dumplings: In a large bowl, mix the bread cubes, cheese and zests. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the tiny seeds into the mixture discard the pod ( or put pod in granulated sugar to make vanilla sugar). With a wooden spoon, stir in the egg, salt and sugar. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Bring large pot of water to boil and add 1/2 c rum. Form the dumplings into 2 inch balls and drop into boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. REmove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
* I used ricotta since I have so much ricotta here. But you really have to get the moisture out of the ricotta. Otherwise you'll get this:
To serve: Melt chocolate and either use a pastry bag or a small plastic bag and snip a tiny hole in one corner. Pipe a design on each dessert plate. Fill the design with the strawberry puree. Roll the dumplings in the coating mixture and place two or three dumplings on each plate. Garnish each plate with a few blueberries and split strawberry and a few raspberries and top with a mint leaf. Sprinkle dumplings with confectioners sugar. You'll see that I skipped a few garnishing steps!