Maultaschen: If you can't see it it doesn't count

So the story goes that some German monks were missing their meat during their Lenten sacrifice and so they devised a sneaky plan to eat meat under the pretense of a veggie dumpling or "mouth pocket" as it is translated. They were not fooling around, there is bacon and beef in these delicious dumplings veiled under the cover of lots of spinach. Maultaschen is my sister-in law Heike's favorite dish and we made it together this year on the first day of Lent. My question is...how did they account for the missing cows and pigs? Maybe they just "got lost" until after Easter.

This recipe makes the pasta from scratch and you need a pasta roller to get it thin enough to make the ravioli like mouth pockets, but there is a shortcut for those of you (like me) who do not own a pasta machine and do not want to spend hours with a rolling pin. In the Asian food section of the grocery store is a marvelous little secret called Wonton Wrappers. These pre-cut squares are perfect for making dumplings, or ravioli of any kind. They can be boiled or fried and turn out very nicely.
So whichever method you choose...enjoy your meat, and the spinach too :)

Maultaschen

The filling:
½ onion diced
1/2 lb Bacon cooked medium
1 lb spinach: chopped and steamed
1 lb ground beef, raw
2 tbsp melted butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cracker crumbs
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp nutmeg
Mix all ingredients until incorporated, using your hands is the best.
The dough:
3 ½ cp flour
6 eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
The dough can be made either by hand or with an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment. Mix together the flour and salt. Make a well in the flour mix and add the eggs. Incorporate by kneading or with the mixer. Knead until the dough is smooth. (a.k.a. bicep workout for the day)
Run small sections of the dough through a pasta roller. Starting with the widest setting, and stopping at 4.5. If you don't have a pasta maker you can roll it out with a rolling pin until it is VERY thin. It is best to work on a well-floured surface. Cut the dough into four inch squares (approximate). Place a round tablespoon full in the center of each pasta square. Brush the edges with a beaten egg. Fold over one half of the pasta square to make a small rectangle. Pinch the edges closed tightly and set aside on a floured cookie sheet.
While you are rolling out and stuffing the Maultaschen, start boiling the broth. You will need 6 cups of beef broth then add 1 tbsp parsley, ½ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp paprika, 1.2 tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp dried thyme.
When the broth is boiling, add the Maultaschen. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Serve Maultaschen in steaming broth. This recipe makes about 40 Maultaschen or 8-10 servings.