Sweet Bread Dumplings

Beat the breadcrumbs with enough of the beaten eggs to form a thick batter of dropping consistency. Let it rest for 30 minutes. Heat the oil to 165C/330F - at this temperature a piece of bread dropped into the oil should fizz gently. Test the batter by cooking one experimental dumpling. Drop a generous teaspoon of the mixture into the oil and fry for 2-4 minutes until golden. It should puff up slightly to form a nice, fairly neatly shaped ball or sphere. If it stays irredeemably lumpy and over-solid, add a few more eggs to the batter to loosen it. If it disintegrates, thicken the batter with a few more breadcrumbs. Once the batter is right, start frying seriously, as above, dropping teaspoons of it into the hot oil and turning the dumplings so that they cook evenly. Never over-crowd the pan. Drain thoroughly on kitchen paper. Put the cooked dumplings into a clean pan and add the remaining ingredients except the ground cinnamon. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Spoon the dumplings into a bowl, pour the hot milk over them, dust with ground cinnamon and leave to cool. Serve chilled.