Mix the yeast with the sugar in lukewarm milk and let it rise. Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl, mix with the salt, the egg, the lemon zest and the yeast then knead it into smooth dough. Cover with a clean tablecloth and let it rise for 45 minutes.
Halve the risen dough and roll each half into a 3-4 diameter roll, then cut them into 8-8 even pieces.
Fill 1 tsp. plum marmalade into the middle of each small dough piece and form balls, making sure to securely block the marmalade, so it won’t spill while the balls are being steamed. Spread melted butter over the balls.
Put the balls into a sieve or steaming rack – as many at a time as convenient. Put the rack over a saucepan of sufficient size. Boil a little water in the saucepan (the bottom of the sieve or the steaming rack must not contact the water), then reduce the heat and let it simmer. Steam the balls covered by a lid for 10–15 minutes – or until a skewer inserted to their center comes out clean. For serving, drizzle the balls with melted butter and sprinkle with a mix of ground poppy seeds and powdered sugar.

Recipes by Rosenstein